Devil Ride
by xenalvr
Summary: An Otalia AU, Devil Ride is a tightly woven piece of fiction that takes you on the highs and lows, twists and turns of streetworker Natalia Rivera when she, on the last day of her life on the streets, gets picked up by an intriguing female client.
1. Chapters 01 to 05

**Warnings and Disclaimers**: This AU story contains adult themes and language, and deals with the sex industry, which might not be to everyone's taste, so please do NOT proceed if you are not of age or if any of that might offend you. It is rated **NC-17**.

All characters from Guiding Light do not belong to me. All the other characters do, however, so please leave them alone. This story is set in an alternate universe, where Natalia Rivera's history and timeline are greatly altered. Most of Olivia Spencer's history remain intact at this point.

I've decided not to worry too much about pre-Otalia plotline discrepancy as this is an AU after all.

**Devil Ride**

by

xenalvr

****

1

It was going to be a cold night. Natalia Rivera gave her immaculately made up reflection another look, pursed her lips, shook her dark mane of hair, and left the apartment. She gave the wad of gum in her mouth one last chew before using it to stick her apartment key to the top of the doorframe. Then, zipping her leather jacket up to her neck, she went down the stairs to walk a few blocks to the street she worked on.

Fall would soon move into winter; there was a bite in the wind and Natalia shivered, hugging herself with her arms. She unzipped her jacket reluctantly to reveal her scantily dressed body underneath as she turned to face the oncoming traffic with a smile that did not reach her dark eyes. After a time, a black sedan slowed and a tinted window rolled down. Natalia shoved the idyllic thought that all the cars seemed to ooze the same kind of sleaze when they prowled the streets aside as she peered into the vehicle with a flash of dimples. Before long, she slid herself into the car and it merged into the busy night traffic of Chicago city.

It hadn't been an easy life for Natalia. Born into a strictly Catholic family, Natalia did not score too many points when her parents found out about her teen pregnancy. She would always remember that her parents were far more enraged over the fact that she would not obey their wishes to have the baby aborted than having actually fallen pregnant.

Ill-equipped to take care of herself in a world so different from her sheltered upbringing, she had first slept in homeless shelters, then on park benches, and had even resorted to loitering around various fast food joints for people's leftovers. There had been close to no job opportunities, and the ones that she had interviewed for went to people who were better dressed or qualified than her.

The last time she had seen her parents was when she was lying in a hospital bed, being told that her child was a stillborn. Her parents had tried to get her to go home with them after that but she could not imagine living with people who were more relieved than anything at her predicament and had provided no comfort whatsoever on the worst day of her life.

That was where she had met Maria, a girl not much older than herself at the time. Maria had gone through a miscarriage and was bunked in next to her in the tiny hospital room. She had gone to live with Maria, sharing her tiny bed in a crowded apartment and, after a time, began dancing at the strip club her friend had worked at. From there, it had been a skip and hop to what she did now.

"Here's good," she said brusquely when she caught sight of a familiar street sign, annoyed at having lost herself in old, best forgotten memories. She knew the reason why, however; if Raphael-the hospital councellor had encouraged her to name her stillborn child so as to mourn him better-was alive, he would turn ten today. Natalia shoved the thought to the back of her head and slammed a fortified door on it.

She gave the John a quick smile before she hopped out of his car, rolling her eyes at the last grope he tried to sneak in before she exited. After tonight, she would be putting this life behind her. She had saved up enough money to move, get a place of her own, and enrol in college; the long hours of self-education would finally pay off. She was looking forward to a fresh start; she was sick of this city.

From the corner of her eye, she noticed a car pulling up beside several girls but not picking anyone up. A shopper. Natalia frowned. In her opinion, they were the worst kind of customers. Even though she knew what her job consisted of, shoppers made her feel like _more_ of an object, if that was possible. So when the car pulled up to where she was, she spun on her heels and began walking away.

"Excuse me?"

Natalia swung her head around, surprised at the female voice addressing her. She had been mistaken. Peering into the car, she automatically reached for the lock of hair that always fell forward when she leaned down like that and tucked it behind her ear. "Are you lost?" she asked, noticing a map of some sort lying on the empty passenger seat. "Where're you trying to get to?"

The woman eyed her speculatively and Natalia swore she could hear a click sound right before the woman's demeanor changed and she tilted her head and slanted her eyes at her. "So. How does this work?"

Her voice was rich and a tad husky, and it spilled over Natalia like warm honey. She frowned slightly, genuinely confused. "How does _what_ work?"

"I'd like your company for a night," the woman said bluntly. Natalia detected a slight tremor in her voice. "Would you like to get in?" The question was asked with a raised brow and a sensual curving of lips, causing Natalia to wonder if she had dreamed up the tremor of uncertainty.

Natalia stared at the woman blankly and blinked several times as her mind raced for an answer.

"I'm good for it, if that's what you're worried about."

There was a note of resignation in the sardonic statement. Natalia wasn't sure what possessed her but she nodded. "Sure." The soft exhalation of breath had been so slight that Natalia almost missed it. It intrigued her; the entire situation intrigued her. She slid into the car quickly and placed the map by her booted feet.

"So, how does this work?" the woman asked again when Natalia turned to face her.

"Well," Natalia said, drawing out the word as she strapped herself in the seat, her head still trying to catch up with her actions, "driving away from here would be a good start."

**2**

The silence in the car was unnerving; even the purring of the engine was quiet as they sped along. Natalia observed the familiar way the woman handled the car and surmised that it wasn't a rental. Its interior looked sleek and classy; a discreet once over said the same of the woman's appearance. She couldn't quite tell the colour of the woman's hair, but it was beautifully styled, gently brushing the soft curve of her neck. Smartly dressed in a well-pressed pin-striped suit with an open collared shirt underneath, nothing on the woman looked out of place.

"Do I meet with your approval?"

The question that broke the silence caused a slight blush to work up Natalia's cheeks. Flustered at being caught in what she had thought to be an unobvious perusal, Natalia straightened perceptibly in her seat. "Sorry."

Her apology was met with a gentle twitching of lips. "So, do I?"

Natalia quickly slid on her working persona. "Of course," she said smoothly with a flash of smile that went unseen anyway, "you're beautiful."

"Thank you."

Natalia could hear a smile in the response and relaxed her stiff posture. Flattery got you everywhere; but in this case, it was hardly a lie. Then she looked out of the car window and frowned. "Where are we going?" She fought to keep her tone light but this was going all wrong. She was so thrown off her game at being solicited by a woman that she hadn't followed her strict routine of securing payment and laying out of rules.

"You said to drive away. So I'm driving away. In the general direction of the hotel I'm staying at." The woman turned to her when they stopped at a light. A well manicured hand came to rest on the gear shift. Unable to help herself, Natalia tracked its movement with her eyes. "I do recall asking you how it works."

There was something about the husky tenor of her voice and the fluidity of her movements, Natalia decided, that unsettled her. Confused by the thought, she quickly reverted to safer territory. "I charge 80 dollars an hour..." she said, then trailed off, unsure how to proceed. Now that her head had somewhat caught up with her actions, she found herself regretting getting into the car.

An elegant brow rose. "Is that for a full... service?" the woman asked, faint amusement colouring her words. Before Natalia could respond, however, she said, "I'll pay you for ten." The light changed and she returned her attention to the road.

"Ten... _hours_?" Natalia was sure she had misheard. At the woman's confirmatory nod, she began to panic. "Maybe this is not such a good idea after all. I'm not sure -"

"Calm down," the woman interrupted her with a surreptitious glance. "I'm just paying you for your company. It's what you do, right? Provide company?"

Natalia frowned. "In a manner of speaking," she replied cautiously. She certainly hadn't looked at it that way before-not about what she did now. Back when she was dancing, she had had a few regulars who would monopolise her time whenever they visited. They would tell her about their day, jump at the chance to buy her drinks, and puff out their chests when they thought they had impressed her with their tales of wild escapades. The description rang truer for that occupation than this.

Natalia shook the inconsequential line of thought out of her head, a little annoyed at the little trips of reminiscence that she was conducting tonight, on the job. It was distracting and she needed her wits about her.

"I could do with some company tonight."

They pulled up at a hotel entrance and the woman turned to her, ignoring the valet waiting by the car. Natalia realised belatedly that she was waiting for an answer. This was turning out to be a very strange night, both in and out of her head. After years of being in this industry, however, she had learnt to trust her gut, and since her fight or flight instincts hadn't kicked in... "Okay," she said finally.

The woman smiled a little too smugly for her taste before exiting the car.

The hotel was a posh one. Natalia felt immensely out of place walking across the marbled lobby floor under expensive looking chandeliers. She straightened her shoulders, refusing to let her self-consciousness triumph. Her client, on the other hand, looked like she _owned_ the building and the people working in it. Her seemingly lack of awareness of the raw energy that she exuded enhanced her attractiveness.

Moments later, Natalia found herself alone again with the woman in the elevator. They stood shoulder to shoulder, not quite touching but close enough for her to catch a whiff of the woman's perfume. She liked the scent; it made her wonder if it would smell more enticing when her face was up against the woman's neck.

"What's your name?"

The question broke Natalia's reverie and she hesitated for a space of several heartbeats before answering. "Jessica." Upon the utterance of her other name, Natalia fell behind the safety of her working persona once more. This was just another client, she told herself.

"Jessica," the woman drawled.

The way the name sounded rolling off the woman's lips made Natalia lift up a hand to fuss with her hair needlessly in an effort to dismiss the pleasant warmth that spread through her. She offered the woman an absent smile and averted her eyes, touching a nervous finger to her nose briefly. She had to be honest to herself: this _wasn't_ just another client. The fact that she was a 'she' made a world of difference. And the prospect of having to spend time with a client other than what was required of her to get her job done was unnerving.

"I'm Olivia," the woman said in return, drawing Natalia's eyes back to her face again.

The elevator doors slid open and Natalia almost told the woman that she had changed her mind. But the moment passed and the intrigue held, so she followed Olivia out.

**3**

Natalia was treated to a breathtaking view of the city when she stepped into the suite. Lights dotted tall and short buildings, along and on the roads, like tiny pieces of glittering diamonds against a dark backdrop. The room itself was spacious and elegantly laid out with a couch, a loveseat and two armchairs. A large plasma television took up most of the wall beside what looked like a small but well-stocked bar. The colours that splashed the walls were warm, set off nicely by amber lighting.

"Drink?"

Natalia turned to see Olivia at the bar with a bottle of liquor in her hand. She nodded against her better judgement, suddenly wanting to rid herself of the tension in her body.

It was one of her job requirements to suss out what a client was after. Most of the time, it was easy. Some were nervous and needed a bit of conversation to make them feel more comfortable; others needed to vent about their lives, wives or girlfriends. There were those who didn't need any encouragement at all, and a few times she had to stop seeing clients who were convinced that they were in love with her. Her inability to place Olivia in any of the categories made her feel off-kilter.

"I hope you like martini."

In a bid to distract herself, Natalia went over to Olivia's side and halted her hands with her own. Ignoring Olivia's questioning lift of brow, she took the bottle of liquor from her and bent her head to the task of mixing the drink. Olivia shrugged and moved away.

"We should get the payment out of the way," Natalia said. Her eyes followed Olivia's trek across the room to where her coat lay, by the door, and watched as she counted out the bills for her. When she had the wad of cash safely zipped up in her jacket pocket, she felt more in control of the situation.

"So." Olivia moved to the couch and sat herself down. She had removed her blazer, revealing the fitting off white shirt that she had on underneath. She crossed one leg over the other as she eyed Natalia casually. "Why would someone who looks the way you do be in this line of work, if you don't mind me asking?"

It was a common enough question and Natalia had a few ready answers on hand. For some reason, she decided to be truthful about being untruthful. "Which version would you like: touching, risque or commonplace?" she asked, walking over to where Olivia was to hand her a martini glass with a sardonic smile on her face.

Olivia's brows lifted, looking rather impressed by the answer given. The observation pleased Natalia. She watched Olivia take a sip of her drink and lean back into the couch with a sigh that sounded like the satisfied purring of a cat. Much to her consternation, it sent a shiver down her body.

Grateful for the warmth and buzz an earlier shot of vodka now gave her, Natalia placed her own drink on the low coffee table and slowly unzipped her jacket, allowing it to slide off her slender shoulders and fall into a heap on the carpetted floor. The clingy fabric of her red halter neck top and her skin tight leather pants left almost nothing to the imagination.

"You and I, we're not so different," Olivia murmured, causing Natalia to frown, confused.

"What do you mean?"

Olivia tilted her head back and let her eyes fall shut as she savoured the flavour of her drink. "This is good. Thank you," she said, lifting her drink slightly in conjunction to her non-sequitur.

Having her seduction thwarted even before it was carried out, Natalia took a step backwards and sat herself down on the loveseat facing the couch. She took the opportunity to observe Olivia as her mind considered the possibility that Olivia might want to be the aggressor.

She trailed her eyes across Olivia's face, taking in the sight of long lashes, lightly rouged cheeks, a strong nose and a sensuous pair of lips that held a shadow of smile. Olivia's shirt collar was open, revealing a creamy throat and a hint of cleavage. The rest of her curvaceous body strained against the fitting shirt and pants she had on, and her feet were encased in a sinful looking pair of heels. Natalia swallowed and consciously acknowledged her attraction towards her client.

"I can feel you staring, you know."

Natalia reached for her drink. "What is it that you want me to do?" she asked finally. She just wanted a vague indication of what was expected of her.

Olivia didn't quite open her eyes; she glanced at Natalia through slitted lids. "Exactly this." Then, before Natalia could ask her to explain what she meant, she straightened slightly and said, "There's a spa in the bathroom if you feel like indulging. And help yourself to anything else that might make you feel more comfortable."

"Okay..." Natalia said after Olivia fell silent and decided that going with the flow would be the best course of action in this case. "The spa sounds good," she said slowly. "If you're sure..." she trailed off, giving Olivia the chance to tell her otherwise.

Olivia nodded, already distracted by her ringing cell. "Enjoy."

Natalia folded her clothes neatly and set them down within reach before she stepped into the spa. She wondered how much a suite like this cost per night, then decided that she would rather not know.

She could hear Olivia talking on her cell. Her words were muffled but Natalia could pick up on the disdain and anger in her voice and a part of her was grateful that she was not on its receiving end. In the brief amount of time she had spent in the woman's company, Natalia had already gathered that Olivia was someone who could make a person feel like they were everything or nothing.

Natalia had half-expected Olivia to join her in the spa but that was not the case. So she took her time and drew out her enjoyment of the rare luxury. By the time she dried herself and threw on a soft terry robe, her eyelids felt heavy. She unknotted and shook her hair out, giving her reflection a once over. Enveloped in the oversized terry robe, she looked about twelve-hardly looking the part of a seasoned seductress. She considered throwing her clothes back on but rejected the idea almost immediately. Stepping out in the nude would be a preferable choice, she decided.

The suite was quiet, save for the low humming of the air-conditioner. Natalia padded towards the bed and was surprised to find Olivia already in it. She was breathing deeply and the space between her brows were slightly creased. Natalia chewed on her lower lip as she stared at the sleeping form in bewilderment. Was she expected to seduce her to wakefulness, join her in sleep, or crash on the comfortable looking couch outside?

She made her decision and laid her pile of clothes beside the bed before climbing in, moaning softly and appreciatively at the way the smooth sheets felt against her skin. Then she stretched herself out beside Olivia, who looked and smelled like she had had a shower herself. There must be another bathroom in the suite.

Natalia rubbed her cheek ruefully with one hand; she did not know what to make of her encounter with this woman. Olivia had on a cotton sleeping shirt and looked way too peaceful to expect a late night seduction. Letting out a soft sigh, Natalia dimmed all the lights in the room and crept under the covers herself. Sleep came swift.

**4**

Natalia wasn't sure what woke her. It took her a moment to recall where she was and when she did, she couldn't believe how well she had slept. She lifted her head to see the illuminated numbers on the bedside table. It was past nine. She should leave; her ten hours were up. But then her gaze fell on the slumbering woman lying next to her, making her pause. In the dimly-lit room, she could just make out Olivia's features. She wondered for the umpteenth time what she had wanted of her-not that it really mattered anymore.

A sudden blare of music disrupted her musings. Olivia stirred beside her and grunted. Natalia watched in growing amusement as Olivia slapped at the control panel by the bed blindly in an effort to eliminate the noise. Lights flickered on and off in the room, then the television came on with the weather forecast for the day. Natalia almost blurted out laughing when Olivia growled in frustration and tried to hide her head under the pillow to block out the noise from both the radio _and_ the television. She finally took pity on the woman and reached over her to hit the right buttons to cancel out the noise. The room fell silent again but Natalia was aware that the announcing of her presence had woken Olivia up more effectively than the music and newscaster's voice ever could.

Natalia watched Olivia lift her head from under her pillow, her hair tousled and her eyes barely open. Made aware of their proximity to each other by the feel of Olivia's breath on her face, Natalia shifted slightly, then followed Olivia's sleepy but intent gaze to her bare chest. She awkwardly reached for the covers to pull over herself.

Olivia blinked several times, then dropped her head back down onto her pillow. She turned on her back and brought a hand to her head. "I need coffee," she mumbled to no one in particular. Natalia felt her lips twitch when she caught the words.

"I'll ring room service for you," Natalia offered, then added, "if you want." She waited but didn't receive any response. When she thought that Olivia must have fallen back to sleep, she heard a fumbling sound and a handset was thrust in her face. Natalia had to bite her lip to keep from grinning when she grabbed the handset to put to her ear. Olivia had miraculously hit the right button for room service.

"Hi, we'd like some coffee please," Natalia said to a cordial sounding hotel employee. Then she covered the mouthpiece. "Did you want anything else?" She took Olivia's grunt to mean no and ended the call even though her own stomach was rumbling. She'd have to grab something on her way home. "It'll be here in ten," she informed a prone Olivia, whose grumpy child behaviour was oddly endearing. Shaking her head lightly, she smirked to herself as she reached over Olivia again to replace the handset.

"What's so funny?" Olivia deadpanned.

Natalia laid back down beside Olivia, propping her face up on one elbow. She could stay for a little while longer. "You are."

Olivia frowned. "Isn't there an unwritten rule somewhere that says you can't laugh at your employer?"

Natalia snorted. "Maybe, but I don't work for you. My ten hours is up. I'm here on my own time," she informed Olivia. The faint smile that graced Olivia's lips made her own smile widen. On an impulse, she reached over and lightly covered Olivia's hand with her own. When Olivia made no move to draw away, she leaned forward and pressed her lips to a soft, rounded shoulder.

"What are you doing?"

Olivia's voice had dropped an octave and a decibel, and that, combined with the sudden infiltration of sexual tension, sent a shiver through Natalia's body.

"If you have to ask, then I mustn't be doing a very good job," Natalia replied in an equally low voice. She trailed her fingers up, then back down a smooth forearm, and lightly threaded their fingers together. "You can tell me to stop whenever you want." Her rapidly beating heart belied her soft, even voice.

When Olivia remained silent, Natalia untangled their fingers and slowly peeled the covers off of Olivia's rising and falling chest, baring herself in the process. Then she trailed her fingers back up Olivia's torso, enjoying the friction between her fingertips and Olivia's cotton sleeping shirt. She wrapped them around a full breast and gently palmed it. Olivia made a small, strangled sound in the back of her throat and her stomach flipped in response.

She lowered her face and stroked Olivia's other breast with her cheek. Then she traced a nipple with her tongue through the fabric of the shirt before closing her teeth around it, eliciting a low moan from the woman beneath her. It made her body tingle. Her hand disappeared under the shirt to repeat its action on warm, bare flesh. Olivia arched her body slightly, pushing herself towards her. That singular act snapped Natalia's control and she let out a low growl, suddenly needing a lot more skin and a lot less barrier.

She moved her mouth to Olivia's bare belly and began a trail of open mouthed kisses up her body, nudging the sleeping shirt up with her face as she went along. She could hear Olivia breathing raggedly. Just before she reached her intended goal, however, fingers tangled in her hair and pulled her face up.

Even in the semi-darkness, Natalia could tell that Olivia looked flushed. Their faces were mere inches apart and Olivia was breathing through her parted lips. Natalia waited and Olivia answered, closing the space between their lips with a crushing kiss. Then Natalia was on her back and her eyes hooded when Olivia pulled her sleeping shirt over her head and flung it heedlessly behind her.

The doorbell rang, and the women froze.

"Fucking coffee," Natalia rasped out, her eyes glued to Olivia's face. She could almost hear Olivia thinking. Then she thought she heard another click not unlike the one she did when they first met, and a sexy smile slid onto Olivia's face.

"_Fuck_ the coffee," Olivia said huskily, and lowered herself onto Natalia, making her gasp when their bodies met. "I'm already up."

**5**

She shouldn't be doing this. What was she thinking? Ah, she wasn't.

Ever since her last meeting with Alan Spaulding, she had been spiralling downwards so quickly that it was a wonder she still had the ability to think. Maybe _not_ thinking was the key to success. As long as her daughter was safe and out of Phillip Spaulding's clutches, nothing else mattered. Emma would be safe with Sam; she had been paranoid to the point of not using a GPS to get them to where she had taken Emma. It pained her to be apart from her daughter but she needed to be able to act without fear of putting Emma in danger.

After an emotional goodbye, she had been afraid to be alone even though she had been sure that she hadn't been followed. That was when she had caught sight of the scantily dressed women standing by the road. The bleak expression on some of their faces had reminded her of herself. She had meant every word of the comparison she had drawn between Jessica and herself the night before: they really weren't too different at all.

Jessica. She wasn't even sure if that was really the woman's name but it was inconsequential. What they were engaged in at the moment had no need for names, real or otherwise.

She had never had a woman look at her the way Jessica did. She had been flattered but that had been the extent of it. She had thought that the woman's uncertainty the night before was due to her lack of experience in pleasuring women but she couldn't very well have set her mind at ease by telling her that sex wasn't what she was after. So she had forced herself to shower, jump into bed, and fall asleep before Jessica was done with the spa. Now, however, Olivia stood contradicted: the woman _definitely_ knew what she was doing and it was driving her crazy.

"No, don't stop," she husked out, reluctantly opening her eyes to see where the wet and slick warmth between her legs had gone. The sight of the gorgeous olive skinned woman wiping her moist lips with the back of her fingers and fixing her with a dark, meaningful look sent a shiver through her.

"Don't stop _what_, Olivia?"

Olivia's eyes fluttered shut briefly at the low, coy voice. She stood contradicted again: names were definitely a good thing in the activity they were engaged in. "Don't stop whatever it is that you were doing," she said, hearing and disliking the whiny tone her voice had taken on.

"Oh. But if I didn't, I won't be able to do this."

Olivia never thought that she would be turned on by her own scent on someone else's lips. The fact that those lips were full and pliant and delivered stubble free kisses were a big bonus. Huge.

She swam in the headiness of the kiss, moaning deep in her throat at Jessica's roaming hands that seemed to draw sparks of reaction everywhere they touched. At Jessica's gentle urging, she lifted her hips and her eyes flew open at the sudden feeling of fullness. She threw her head back and sucked in a breath; her thigh muscles clenched, increasing the heat and ache in her centre as Jessica slowly moved in and out of her.

Thoughts didn't matter, only sensations did. And Olivia's head and body were swirling in them. She clutched at Jessica, then at the sheets pooled around her, her lips parted, eyes shut, wrapped in the nonsensical words that fell out of Jessica's lips.

Then came a moment of nothing...

... before a huge wave of sensation crashed through her body.

"Hey."

Olivia let out a breath and managed a weak smile. "Hey."

"I think I should go."

Olivia nodded, expecting cool air to hit her when Jessica shifted. When nothing happened, she cracked open an eye to see the woman still partially lying on her, dark hair splaying over her back and onto Olivia's chest. She brought a hand up hesitantly to smooth the woman's hair back. Jessica lifted her head up at the same moment and Olivia could not help but acknowledge the woman's beauty that was almost innocent in quality. Her eyes tracked Jessica's hand when it moved up to tuck a stray lock of hair behind an ear.

"I've enjoyed our time together."

Jessica's voice was soft and her sincerity was evident. Olivia knew a brief moment of regret at the thought of never seeing this woman again but quickly let it go. She ran her eyes down Jessica's face and decided that it would be insulting if she offered to pay her for the time that she had overstayed even though she would gladly give her enough money if it would get her off the streets. The strength of the latter thought surprised Olivia; she hardly knew the woman. "I did too," she said honestly.

After Jessica moved off of her to get changed, Olivia threw her rumpled sleeping shirt and underwear back on. She picked up the phone to ring room service for another pot of coffee and, after a moment's consideration, two stacks of pancakes and bacon. She could at least feed her.

"You must be hungry," she called out in the general direction of the bathroom. "I ordered some food. Have some before you go." She padded out of the bedroom to check if Emma had rung her on her cell. Seeing no missed calls or messages, Olivia ran a hand through her tousled hair and turned the television on.

"Thanks, I'm starving, actually," came the reply. Olivia turned and took in the sight of Jessica in her work clothes. It was the same stuff that the woman had on the night before but now, after what they just did in bed, she looked different. "What?" Jessica asked, looking down at herself.

Olivia shook her head and went to sit down on the couch. She hit the remote for the automatic blinds and frowned at the swirling mass of gray and water that the action revealed. "Maybe you should stay till the rain stops."

Jessica came to sit beside her. "Do you mind? I could go if you have things to do... it's just water."

Olivia turned her head. "I wouldn't have offered if I minded." Her cell rang the same time the doorbell did and she jumped up from the couch hurriedly. "Could you get the door please, Jessica?" Grabbing her cell from the bar counter, she hit a button and answered it in a cheery voice. "Hey, baby." She went into the bedroom to take the call. "What? _No_, I didn't _just_ get up, if you must know... Oh, you think so, huh," she bantered with her vivacious daughter. The seven year old seemed to be coping with their separation well.

When the call ended, she exited the bedroom and found Jessica sitting cross legged on the couch. She had removed the plates of pancakes and bacon that Olivia had ordered from the serving tray onto the low coffee table, and was cradling a cup of coffee in her hands. Olivia sank onto the couch and lifted her own cup of coffee to her lips. The television and the pattering of rain against the window panes were the only sounds in the room.

"Rainy days, cloudy days, and sunny days," Jessica said suddenly, causing Olivia to look up in surprise. "Which do you like best?"

Olivia took a moment to consider. "Rainy days," she said at last.

Jessica smiled, her dimples deepening when she did so. "Me too," she said, almost shyly. Then, "It takes away the guilt of wasting the day away in front of a good book or movie."

Olivia smiled, content with the randomness of their conversation.

"Natalia," Jessica said after a time-another non-sequitur. Olivia lifted a questioning brow. "My name," Jessica explained, finishing her coffee and reaching for a strip of bacon. "It's Natalia."


	2. Chapters 06 to 09

**Warnings and Disclaimers**: This AU story contains adult themes and language, and deals with the sex industry, which might not be to everyone's taste, so please do NOT proceed if you are not of age or if any of that might offend you. It is rated **NC-17**.

All characters from Guiding Light do not belong to me. All the other characters do, however, so please leave them alone. This story is set in an alternate universe, where Natalia Rivera's history and timeline are greatly altered. Most of Olivia Spencer's history remain intact at this point.

I've decided not to worry too much about pre-Otalia plotline discrepancy as this is an AU after all.

**Devil Ride**

by

xenalvr

**6**

After she breakfasted, Olivia slipped into a T-shirt and a comfortable pair of jeans. She had planned to stay away from Springfield for a few days to think about what she had to do next to rid Emma and herself of the threat in their lives, so she had a few change of clothes with her. The rain was showing no signs of letting up, however, and she didn't mind Jessica-no, Natalia's presence, so she was content to leave the plotting and scheming for later.

She found Natalia looking like she was trying to take up as little space as she possibly could in the far corner of the couch, with her legs curled up under her and arms wrapped around a red cushion. She looked up when Olivia stepped into the room and gave her a distracted smile. Olivia went over to the couch and frowned at the images on the television screen.

"Scary movie?" she asked after a few moments. Natalia nodded mutely; Olivia could not help smirking at the look of apprehension on her face. She moved away to darken the room before sliding onto the couch next to Natalia. Before she could hit the remote to close the automatic blinds, however, Natalia's hand stopped her.

"It'll be too dark," came the soft protest.

Olivia lifted an amused brow at Natalia. "You're not scared, are you?" she asked in a low drawl, making her voice rough and scratchy. The expression on Natalia's face answered her question and she had to stifle a laugh. She adhered to Natalia's request, however, and settled back to watch the film. The rain on the window panes created swirly patterns on the carpeted floor. In Olivia's opinion, it made little difference to have the blinds up; the world was grey and gloomy on the outside anyway.

A loud thump sounded from the television, followed by frantic screaming. Olivia felt Natalia jump and hug her cushion tighter. Natalia's proximity and her own lack of interest in the movie caused her mind to wander. Hypothetically speaking, how would she proceed if she wanted to sleep with Natalia again? _Did_ she want to sleep with Natalia again? Natalia had been Jessica when they had had sex-had she felt obliged to do so because they had slept through the hours that Olivia had paid her for? It was all very confusing, to say the least.

Good thing that the considerations were hypothetical then. Olivia had bigger things to worry about, like evil ex-husbands and daughter stashing. She wished Emma was around; she wouldn't even mind sitting through High School Musical for the billionth time.

Olivia's thoughts turned grim. She would kill Phillip before she let him get to Emma. And Alan-she should have known better than to go to him for protection. He had seen it as an opportunity to use her again in one of his many schemes. This time, he had wanted her to seduce Gus in a ploy to keep him under his thumb. If Springfield was a brothel, the position of king pimp would undoubtedly go to Alan Spaulding, she thought sardonically.

Natalia shifted beside her, reminding Olivia of her presence and her earlier decision to leave the plotting and scheming for a later time. So she shoved her cluttered thoughts to one side and focussed on the woman next to her. The memory of smooth, naked skin on her own came to her mind's eye, making her draw in a deep breath as her eyes fluttered shut briefly. She was surprised at her own reaction to Natalia; it had never crossed her mind that another woman could make her feel this way. The fact that Natalia wasn't a part of her world probably contributed to her uncharacteristic behaviour. She knew nothing of Olivia's past and wouldn't be a part of her future. Neither did they have to deal with each other's baggages. It was a freeing thought. She couldn't remember the last time she had had sex with no other agenda in mind and with no drama surrounding the act.

Natalia's gasp shook her out of her reverie. Olivia glanced at her and impulsively leaned over to kiss her cheek. Pleasure infused her when Natalia snuggled up against her in response. Just for today, Olivia decided, she would allow herself to be free of her past and worries for the future. Just for today, she would be problem-free Olivia, spending a lazy rainy afternoon snuggled up on a couch with a beautiful woman, watching... "_Ugh_, what is he eating?" she asked, her mind suddenly registering the image on the television screen.

"I don't know."

Natalia's muffled voice made Olivia tear her eyes away from the screen. Her face was hidden behind the cushion, against Olivia's shoulder. The childlike reaction caused Olivia to feel a warm rush of affection towards her. In that instant, Olivia had to admit to herself that her earlier considerations weren't hypothetical. She waited for Natalia to raise her face, then sought her lips out with her own.

She felt Natalia's hand snake around her neck and leaned in to deepen the kiss when the doorbell rang. Olivia let out a soft exclamation of annoyance. This was the second time today they were interrupted by the bell-granted, they did not stop what they were doing the first time. "It's probably housekeeping," she said, getting up. "I'll tell them to come back later." She padded to the door and opened it, surprised to see no one there. She was about to shut it when she spotted a manila envelope at her feet. It caused her stomach to lurch nastily. She picked it up with shaky hands and quickly shut the room door, engaging the deadbolt for good measure.

Then she went into the bedroom and closed the door behind her before opening the envelope. Out spilled several 8x10 photographs of Natalia and her walking across the hotel lobby. Olivia took a deep breath and forced herself to think calmly as she quickly flipped through the photographs. Emma wasn't in any of them so, chances were, if Phillip was behind this, he was only able to track her to the hotel and had no idea where Emma was. Emma was safe, she told herself. She had to be.

Needing to be sure, Olivia dialled Sam's number.

The credits were rolling on the dark television screen. Natalia switched the television off and walked over to the window. Even though the storm was showing no signs of abating, it was time she got going. She wanted to get out of these clothes and finish packing up the few things she had. Today was the first day of a new chapter in her life even if she didn't feel like anything had changed. She supposed waking up in a fancy suite beside a beautiful woman was an excellent start. Having sex that she actually enjoyed was an exceptional bonus.

Olivia hadn't returned to the couch after getting the door and Natalia had wondered but hadn't inquired why. She patted her jacket pockets for her money and cell, put on her boots, straightened herself up from the couch, and walked up to the closed bedroom door. She listened for movements in the room before rapping on the door. After a long stretch of silence, she said, "Olivia? I think I'm gonna make a move."

The door swung open and Natalia shifted her weight to the balls of her feet, unconsciously leaning away from the energy radiating from the room. Olivia wore a dark expression and her brows were creased. She was breathing through her parted lips and her cheeks looked flushed. Natalia's eyes widened slightly. "Are... is everything okay?" she asked cautiously.

"Dammit!"

Natalia flinched when Olivia threw her cell across the room. Fortunately, it landed unscathed on the king size bed. Dark eyes flicked from cell to woman and she lowered her head awkwardly. "Should I leave you alone? I just didn't wanna leave without saying anything." Olivia pinched the bridge of her nose in evident exasperation.

"No, stay. I need to talk to you but not right now."

Natalia's brows lifted at the command but she could see how distressed Olivia was, so she let it slide. She leaned against the doorframe and watched Olivia stalk to the bed for her recently discarded cell. Whoever she was calling must have finally responded because she heard Olivia say, "Sam!" The word carried an exasperated relief borne out of heightened worry. Natalia walked away to give Olivia privacy.

She puttered around the bar, checking out the drinks available on the shelves and in the mini fridge. Then she set out to make herself a lemon and lime bitters. After taking a sip of the drink, she sighed and tapped a booted foot. She wasn't sure what Olivia needed to speak to her about, but intrigue seemed to be the underlying theme of their encounter. She hoped that she wasn't about to get enlisted in some kind of marital drama. Even though Olivia didn't have a ring on her finger, Natalia was sure that a woman like Olivia had a man... at the very least.

"Natalia?"

Snapping out of her reverie, Natalia looked up to see Olivia framed in the bedroom door. She looked a lot more composed than before, but there was still a grimness to her expression and stance.

"There's something I have to show you."

Natalia followed her into the bedroom. She frowned when she was presented with a spread of photographs on the bed. "What is this?" she asked, putting down her drink on the bedside table and picking a random one up.

"Someone left it on the floor outside the room."

Natalia replaced the photograph and crossed her arms in front of her. "Why?" she asked, her eyes narrowing. She wasn't sure if she was overstepping her boundaries with her question but if Olivia hadn't thought that she might be implicated in whatever this was, she wouldn't have shown her anything at all.

"I'm not sure. I have my suspicions but..." Olivia shrugged. "I don't think anything's gonna happen to you but if you feel anything out of place, or if anyone approaches you with questions about me..." She handed Natalia a business card. "Give me a call."

Natalia was slightly flabbergasted. She didn't know what to think. "What's going on?" she asked at last. She could see an array of emotions flickering in Olivia's face. The woman looked tired, sad, angry and sorry. "Look, I know it's none of my business but I think I should know what I might have to deal with," she said in a gentler tone. "Either way, whatever you tell me stays right here."

Natalia stood still while Olivia fixed her with an assessing stare. After a time, she sighed and her stance softened. "I think my ex is stalking me. Well, someone evidently is and I think it's him," she said with a disgusted snort directed at the photographs on the bed. "He's mentally unstable, dangerous, paranoid and vengeful-a recipe for disaster."

Natalia blew out a breath. For the lack of a better response, she said, "Wow. My condolences."

Olivia stared at Natalia for a moment and barked out a short laugh. "Indeed."

"So... are you on the run?" Natalia asked curiously. Olivia's lack of ardour the night before suddenly started to make sense. She probably never wanted sex, just company. Then what happened in bed this morning... had been solely her doing? Natalia blinked the thought away and watched Olivia struggle with her words, wondering just how much the woman's stalker ex had put her through. Compassion rose within her and she reached for her drink to hand to Olivia. "Here. It's lemon and lime bitters."

Olivia let out another bark of laughter. "I think I need something a lot stronger than that," she said finally.

Natalia smiled sympathetically. "That, I can help with. Come on, I'll make you a drink."

**7**

Natalia slung her jacket over the back of one of the armchairs. Even though she hadn't done much, she felt like she needed a shower. Since that wasn't going to happen, she settled for gathering her hair into a ponytail and giving her face and neck a quick splash of water. Her mind raced as she prepared a drink for Olivia and herself; whether she liked it or not, she was in this-for the moment anyway.

She glanced over at Olivia, who was staring out of the window with unseeing eyes and her heart went out to the woman. It didn't matter that she knew next to nothing about her. She understood how scary it was to be at the mercy of an unknown entity. You couldn't strike out if you couldn't see where your enemy was. The person who was doing this to Olivia was a malicious coward with resources. The combination made him deadly.

"Here," she said, walking over to Olivia and handing her a drink. She smirked at the surprise on the woman's face after she took a sip of it. "I thought you deserved a strong hit."

"Thank you."

Natalia retreated from Olivia and went to sit on the couch. She took a sip from her own glass and allowed the silence to stretch between them. The sound of rain was soothing. Natalia idly wondered if the city would ever be dry again.

"We have a daughter together." Olivia's sombre voice drew Natalia's eyes to her. "He's taken her before so when I thought he's back, I panicked. I've taken her somewhere safe so I can... deal with this without putting her in harm's way." Natalia watched Olivia walk over to the armchair next to the couch. "I'm not sure what to do next but as long as Emma's safe, I..." Olivia shook her head and took a breath. "I don't want to run or hide. In fact, I was planning to face this head on. But I'm not sure how."

When Olivia fell silent, Natalia asked, "Have you gone to the police?"

Olivia snorted. "Springfield's finest don't really live up to their reputation, if you what I mean."

Natalia nodded. Her own experiences with the police have been dismal but she wasn't exactly perceived as a morally upright citizen. "Does he have family? Have you approached them?"

"The old adage is true: the apple really doesn't fall far from the tree," was all Olivia had to say about that.

Natalia blew out a breath. "You're fighting a ghost, aren't you?" she asked, not really expecting an answer. If Olivia didn't know who the person was and what their intent was, how could she even begin to plan a line of attack? "Do you think your life is in danger?" she asked bluntly.

Olivia shook her head. "I have no idea. He's been gone so long... we thought he was dead at one point but..." She shrugged. "I don't know if his mental condition's gotten worse. I can only prepare for the worst."

"He wants you to know that he's around. If he wanted your life, he wouldn't bother alerting you to his presence by leaving you those photos," Natalia deduced, tapping her lower lip with a finger. "So that means he wants something else from you. He is definitely trying to scare you... to flaunt his power, almost." She bit her lower lip, her mind racing. "Since you're not a hundred percent sure that this stalker is your ex, let's presume that it could be anyone. What do you have that someone wants, apart from your daughter? Something that this person can get if you're scared."

Even as the words spilled out from her, Natalia heard how far-fetched her logic sounded. But the inscrutable look that Olivia gave her said that she might have stumbled on something.

"Actually, you are describing someone I know quite perfectly."

The stillness in Olivia's voice sent a shiver down Natalia's spine. Outside, lightning flashed.

After their conversation and a few more strong martinis, Natalia wasn't sure she could make her way home in the unrelenting rain. Olivia had spent a long time in the bedroom on her cell; Natalia could hear her clipped, authoritative voice presumably giving out orders. The woman's determination and strength seemed renewed, and for what it was worth, Natalia was glad.

"I forgot to feed you."

Natalia looked up at Olivia's rueful declaration and smiled, amused. "I'm old enough to feed myself, but thanks for the thought." Her eyes followed Olivia's trek into the room. "I'll get out of your hair in a bit. I just wanted to wait till my head clears a little from all that martini," she said. The hours had slipped by unnoticed. It was already late afternoon and her stomach rumbled noisily at the mention of food.

"I'd offer to take you to an early dinner but I don't really want the stalker photographer to take anymore photos of us together, so I'm afraid you'll have to settle for room service," Olivia said regretfully, handing Natalia a menu. She must have seen Natalia's hesitation, for she added, "Please, it's the least I could do for your amazing skills..." Natalia lifted a brow saucily at that. "... of deduction," Olivia finished wryly.

Natalia was sure Olivia had caught her innuendo and she smiled to herself. "People usually rave about _other_ skills I have, but I'm not complaining," she said teasingly, then crossed one booted leg over the other, lowering her eyes and curving her lips to give Olivia a suggestive look.

It felt a little inappropriate to be flirting with Olivia after the kind of afternoon the woman had but Natalia couldn't help herself, especially after all those drinks. Olivia looked really hot when she lifted her brow pointedly, Natalia decided when one of those looks was directed at her. The combination of that and the alcohol coursing through her system made her feel a little heady.

"And you're welcome to stay the night if you want," Olivia offered without further acknowledgement of Natalia's comment. "I've got some clean clothes to spare if you like."

"Food, clothes, bed..." Natalia said coyly, ticking the items off the fingers on one hand. "What else can you offer me?"

At Olivia's sudden darkening of expression, Natalia's smile faltered. She swallowed when Olivia came towards her with an air of menace and her legs uncrossed of their own volition, ready to take flight if her choice of words had touched some nerve. She felt her heartrate speed up when Olivia braced herself with her hands on either side of her face and leaned in close, stopping only when their noses were an inch apart.

"You play the seduction game well," Olivia said in a low, velvet voice, sending a thrill of desire through Natalia when her mind registered the words, "But make no mistake. _I_ wrote the book on it."

Natalia's breath caught when Olivia moved her face forward and sideways slowly, stirring the fine hairs on Natalia's face with the static her movement caused. She could feel slanted eyes on her as Olivia moved her head, careful not to make any contact. Olivia's lips were parted; she appeared to be taking her time to breathe in every square inch of Natalia's skin.

Natalia could smell Olivia's perfume, a scent that she was becoming familiar with, and her eyes fluttered shut briefly. Then an intentional whimper spilled from Olivia's lips while they were next to her ear and Natalia's eyes flew open. She shuddered in response. But before she could turn her face to capture the enticing lips with her own, Olivia pulled away as abruptly as she had leaned close.

"So, I'm thinking a nice cut of steak. What about you?" Olivia's voice was casual as she sauntered over to the telephone, throwing an innocent, questioning look over her shoulder as she did so.

Natalia let out a shaky breath and told herself to keep on breathing.

**8**

By the time dinner arrived, the skies had darkened. Olivia went into the bedroom and threw open the wardrobe, scrutinising her very limited options; she wanted to look nice. She frowned at an unexpected flutter of anticipation in her stomach. The entire situation was foreign to her: having a woman in her bed, her physical reactions to a woman, the inclination to impress a woman. She had never given it much thought-or rather, she never had the need to give it _any_ thought-but now she wondered at how different it felt to be with a woman.

An odd sort of friendship had sprung up between them in the short amount of time they had spent together. Natalia had given her the support no one back home had even offered, not that she had thought to ask. Instead of shrugging Olivia's problems off as none of her business, Natalia had walked her through the situation and had given her a fresh perspective. Her ability to keep a cool, rational head while Olivia was emotionally charged was impressive. A lesser person would have either been caught up in the whirlwind of emotions and retaliated, or walked away.

Secured by the knowledge that Emma was safe with Sam and having set some things in motion on her end of things to tackle her stalker ex problem, Olivia felt relaxed enough to shelf reality for the night and enjoy Natalia's company. While there was no question about the chemistry that existed between them, Olivia found the uncertainty of how both Natalia and herself would want the night to end an aphrodisiac.

Not having a big range of choices, Olivia settled on a white figure-hugging top with a plunging neckline to wear with her jeans. She put on a pair of silver hooped earrings, touched up her make-up, and fixed her hair so that it fell to one side of her face, exposing her throat and neck. Then she dabbed her wrists with perfume, gave her reflection one last appraisal and left the bedroom before Natalia exited the bathroom.

Olivia had just finished pouring herself a glass of red wine when she heard a clearing of throat behind her. Turning, Olivia saw Natalia standing there in a black tank top and capri pants that were a little big for her, looking apprehensive. She supposed the 'dimmed light, soft music, dinner laid out on a table that afforded the rain-blurred view of Chicago city's nightline' setting could be a little unnerving.

"Wine?"

She watched Natalia come to a decision and approach her.

"What's all this?" Natalia asked, taking the glass from Olivia.

"Dinner, as promised," Olivia said with a nonchalant shrug.

Natalia's face held a bland expression when she said, "It looks... really nice"

Olivia wondered when was the last time someone did something nice for this woman without an agenda-hidden or not. "It's just dinner, Natalia. I don't expect anything at the end of it. I thought it'd be nice to make it a date but we don't have to if you're not comfortable." She waited for Natalia to say something but Natalia set her glass down on the table and went to pull out a chair silently. Olivia sighed, feeling a tad disappointed.

"Well?"

Olivia's eyes flickered up at the word. Then she smiled when she realised that Natalia was pulling the chair out for her. She slid into it gracefully. She watched Natalia make her way to the seat across from her.

"I haven't been on a date in ages," Natalia said when she sat herself down. She raised her wine glass to her nose and gave it a tentative sniff. "And I can't remember the last time I drank wine out of a wine glass," she said, sounding a little wistful. The expression was quickly erased when she lifted her eyes to Olivia's, warming her with a smile.

Olivia found herself at a loss for words. She busied herself with lifting the cloches from their plates and setting them on the floor under the table. "Looks good," she commented about the nicely presented dish before her.

"Sure does."

Olivia raised her eyes to find Natalia staring at her from across the table and lifted a brow reflexively. "You are such a flirt."

Natalia cut into her steak and brought a morsel of it to her lips. "An honest one," she replied, looking unrepentant.

Olivia couldn't help the grudging smile that crept onto her face.

"Wait, wait, I got one." Colour was high on Natalia's cheeks. She curved her index finger, beckoning Olivia closer. When an equally inebriated Olivia shifted herself over to the spot beside Natalia on the carpeted floor, Natalia leaned in to speak huskily into her ear. "If I can make you come with one finger, imagine what I can do with my whole hand."

Olivia had to think about it for a second before Natalia's finger beckoning action and subsequent words made sense to her. When they did, her brows jumped into her hairline and she shot a laughing Natalia a scandalised look. "Natalia!" However, the images that flooded her mind made her stomach do tiny flips.

After their meal, they had first migrated to the couch, then onto the floor by the couch, and their talk had turned to pick up lines that they knew. Naturally, the level of lewdness had increased in proportion to the amount of wine they consumed.

"Did someone use that line on you?" Olivia had to ask. When Natalia shook her head no, she continued, "Have _you_ used it on anyone?"

The smile that played on Natalia's lips was a secretive one. "Maybe."

Olivia narrowed her eyes. "Has it ever worked?"

Natalia threw her a salacious look. "I don't know. _Is_ it working?"

The temperature of the room spiked up suddenly when the meaning of Natalia's words sank in, and Olivia had to swallow her wine carefully to keep from choking. She caught Natalia's eyes with her own and they spent a few moments just looking at each other, enjoying the warm feeling of companionship. Then she slowly inched her face towards Natalia's, giving her every chance to turn away. Their breaths mingled.

Olivia paused her head's forward motion when her lips were a breath away from Natalia's and smiled. At Natalia's responding smile, she gently brushed her lips against Natalia's, revelling in its softness. Then she repeated the action once, twice, thrice, lingering longer each time. She sighed when Natalia's hand slid up and around her shoulder to rest on her neck, and proceeded to deepen the kiss. The rusty moan she elicited from Natalia when their tongues clashed thrilled her and she growled deep in her throat.

She brought her own hand up and around Natalia to pull her closer, effectively crushing Natalia's body against her own. The unfamiliar feel of soft curves tight against her sent a rush of heat down Olivia's body to settle between her legs. Then she felt Natalia shift and her breath caught when she realised that Natalia was rubbing her breasts against hers, teasing her through the dual barrier of their clothing. She forced her eyes open and tore her lips away from Natalia's to take in ragged gulps of air. She couldn't believe how aroused she had gotten from just kissing.

"I guess it worked."

Natalia's breathy voice broke through the fog in Olivia's mind, causing her to smirk. "I guess it did," she conceded. She felt a gentle pressure at the back of her head and obliged Natalia's urging to close the space between them again.

This time, Olivia let her hands explore Natalia's body, taking as much note as she could whenever her touch elicited a response. This was so very different from making out with a man, she thought distractedly. Her senses were heightened by every little sound Natalia made, and her pleasure came from both Natalia's touch as well as Natalia's reaction to her touch. Then all thoughts flew out of her head when Natalia's fingers found her nipples and began teasing them to erection.

Olivia broke the kiss and slammed her head back, involutarily arching her body into Natalia's hands. When she felt Natalia's lips on the crook of her neck, sucking gently, she brought a hand up to her own face to palm her eyes, as though trying to shield herself from the sensations that were coursing through her body. She allowed Natalia to pull her shirt up and over her, shivering slightly when cool air hit her flushed skin. Natalia's top went off next, and Olivia's pupils dilated at the sight that met her eyes. She never thought that another woman's breasts would arouse her such.

"Bed?" Olivia managed to say.

Instead of answering, Natalia took a deep breath and pushed herself up. Then she reached out a hand to pull Olivia up and against her. Olivia felt herself being manuevered backwards, in the direction of the bedroom, her fingers from both hands loosely threaded through Natalia's. She lowered her face slightly to kiss Natalia. Everything felt so hot, soft and smooth.

When the back of her legs hit the bed, Olivia allowed Natalia to fumble at her waistband and pull her jeans down. She fell onto the bed and lifted her legs; the jeans came off and fell to the floor. Olivia pushed herself backwards on the bed to give Natalia space to climb on board. Her eyes were hooded with anticipation but her breathing had calmed down some. Natalia discarded her own pants, dropped to her hands and knees on the bed, and matched every backward move Olivia made with a move forward. Olivia thought she looked like a sleek prowling cat.

By the time the back of Olivia's head hit the headboard, Natalia was wedged snugly between her legs. Olivia experimentally put her hands on Natalia's breasts, treating them with the same attention Natalia had given hers. Natalia's answering whimper made her moan. Their lips clashed together again and Olivia tangled her fingers in Natalia's hair.

It was going to be a long, _long_ night.

She shouldn't have drunk so much; it hindered her thought making and memory retaining process, and a part of Natalia wanted to remember details from this night to look back on in the days to come. But she was definitely intoxicated. She had to admit that it didn't feel bad at all to act and respond without much thinking going on. Everything that she was doing felt almost primal-a need instead of want.

Olivia's touch was gentle but firm and it stirred up all sorts of sensations in her. Both of them were down to just their underwear and the existence of that last barrier between them was titillating, to say the least. She felt the whisper of Olivia's breath on her neck and shoulder, then down her chest and on her breast. Natalia's head lolled to one side when a hot, wet mouth found her nipple. The rush of wetness to her centre made her moan. That Olivia responded to the moan by raising her eyes to pin her in a fiery gaze told Natalia that the woman was acutely aware of her reactions, and it increased her arousal exponentially.

Natalia brought one of Olivia's wandering hands to her face and slowly trailed her tongue up and down the lengths of two of her fingers before sliding them into her mouth. She felt a sense of loss when the administrations to her breast ceased, but then saw Olivia gazing intently at what she was doing to her fingers with parted lips and heavy lids. Natalia lifted herself on her knees and guided Olivia's now damp digits down her body, only coming to a brief pause at the waistband of her black, lacy underwear. Then she spread her legs further apart and pushed Olivia's hand past the waistband and watched Olivia follow what was happening with undivided attention.

Natalia heard the rush of air that Olivia expelled when her fingers touched her wet heat. She licked her lips and, with her free hand, tilted Olivia's chin up to press their lips together before she began gyrating her hips slowly, sliding her slick length against Olivia. They groaned simultaneously, stimulated by the intimate feel of each other.

Natalia ran her fingers through Olivia's hair-silky soft compared to her own, which was thick and wavy. Then, looking into Olivia's eyes, Natalia positioned herself on the tips of Olivia's fingers and impaled herself in one smooth motion. She took in the look of surprise, realisation, then lust on Olivia's face before she began moving her hips again, taking in more and more of Olivia as she did so.

"You feel so good," she rasped out when her head fell onto Olivia's shoulder. Olivia's groan of response caused another rush of wetness to settle between her legs. "I need... more."

She felt Olivia respond immediately, banding her free arm around her waist, moving her wrist experimentally, and plunging more of herself into Natalia.

"Oh!" Natalia tightened her arms around Olivia at the increased speed and intensity of Olivia's movements. It robbed her of her breath and senses. Just when Natalia thought she was going to explode from the heat gathered in her lower belly, she felt a sudden pressure on her centre and she whimpered helplessly. She was kept in position by Olivia's arm around her waist while Olivia pleasured her with her other hand; her inability to move heightened her arousal and pleasure. She inhaled the faint scent of Olivia's perfume on Olivia's neck and knew she would forever be reminded of this moment whenever she smelled this scent.

Her hands found Olivia's breasts and she fought to keep her touch light when she palmed them, trying to distract herself from the growing pleasure that was spreading from her centre in a bid to prolong... everything. But the combination of the feel of Olivia's taut nipples and soft breasts against her palms, the repeated feeling of fullness within her and the constant pressure on her centre proved to be too much. Natalia reached for Olivia's face with both of her hands and caught her lips in her own an instant before she toppled over the edge.

**9**

Olivia brought a hand to her face to rub the sleep out of her eyes. Her stomach did a lazy flip when she caught Natalia's scent on her fingers, treating her mind's eye to a series of flashback from the night before. She heard Natalia's hushed voice and raised her head slightly to see Natalia facing away from her on the bed next to her, talking on her cell. Olivia stretched herself and didn't put up a fight to stay up now that she had woken. She idly wondered if the rain had stopped.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" Natalia asked when she turned to face Olivia after her call ended. She tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, an action that Olivia was beginning to recognise as a habit of Natalia's.

"Not really," Olivia said. She was about to reach for Natalia when Natalia moved to throw the covers off of herself and slid off the bed. Olivia followed Natalia's trek to her neatly folded pile of clothes on the dresser with her eyes.

"I really should go," Natalia said, throwing a small smile over her shoulder at Olivia as she dressed.

Olivia blinked several times, then threw the covers off of herself too and got up. She walked over to where Natalia was and peered at her face. "Okay." Then, almost like an afterthought, she asked, "Is everything okay?"

Natalia nodded briskly and gave Olivia another smile. Her eyes lowered, presumably taking in Olivia's state of undress, then quickly dropped back to what she was doing. "You know how it is. Errands to run, stuff to do, life to lead..." she said with a shrug and a humourless smile.

Olivia studied Natalia's profile for a moment, then nodded. "Need a lift?" she asked, moving towards the bathroom.

"That's all right, I'll grab a cab."

In the bathroom, Olivia stared at her reflection, then blew out a breath. She picked up her toothbrush and began washing up, hoping that her brain would fully wake up by the time she was done. But even after she threw on a robe and left the bathroom, she was still operating on auto-pilot.

When she couldn't see Natalia in the bedroom, she exited it and found her sitting on an armchair, putting her boots on. Their dinnerplates and wine glasses were where they had left them the night before but in the light of day, it was difficult to believe that the night before had transpired in this very room. Natalia looked up at her entrance and Olivia didn't know how to fill the awkward gulf that seemed to have sprung up between them during the time they had fallen asleep. A part of her wondered why she cared: she had chosen Natalia's form of company for the very fact that she wasn't and wouldn't try to be a part of her world.

"Well." Natalia stopped in front of Olivia and tilted her head to a side. "It was... nice meeting you." Olivia held Natalia's eyes for a second before Natalia looked away, at the door. "I hope everything goes well with you and your daughter," she said, turning her face back to Olivia with a distant smile. "And I'll let you know if anyone asks me any questions about you."

Olivia didn't know what to say. Everything was moving too fast and she needed her dose of caffeine before she could deal with anything more than climbing out of bed, damn it. "Thanks. You um... take care," was what she managed out. She walked Natalia to the door and held it open for her after Natalia unbolted and opened it.

"Bye, Olivia."

Natalia made to give Olivia a hug, but ended up just squeezing her forearm lightly before walking off. Olivia stared after Natalia until she got into the elevator. Then she stepped back into the suite and closed the door behind her, letting out a loud breath. She puttered around aimlessly before making a beeline for the telephone so she could ring up some coffee when the doorbell rang, causing Olivia to stop what she was doing. Natalia must have left something behind, Olivia thought as she hurried to the door and flung it open without looking through the peephole.

"Good morning, room service," a polite, cheery voice greeted her, much to her surprise.

"I didn't..." She pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head slightly. "I didn't call for room service."

The bellhop hesitated. "Someone from your suite rang for coffee and breakfast to be sent up," he said, his smile faltering.

Natalia.

Suddenly, Olivia couldn't bear the thought of never seeing the woman again. She stepped past the confused bellhop and rushed towards the elevator. On her way down, Olivia thought about what she would say to Natalia but couldn't come up with anything. The elevator doors slid open and she hurried out, scanning the hotel lobby for the sight of Natalia. Not seeing her anywhere, Olivia ran out of the hotel and looked up and down the street, ignoring the looks people were giving her because of the way she must look with her tousled hair, barefooted, with nothing but a robe on.

Still no Natalia.

Disappointed, Olivia made her way back to her suite, where the bellhop still stood, waiting. She wordlessly took the tray from him and slammed the door in his face.

After some coffee and a long soak in the spa, Olivia felt much more awake. She didn't know what had possessed her earlier impulse to run after Natalia. In a way, she was glad that Natalia had been nowhere to be seen. She shuddered to imagine what she might have said to the woman. Natalia had her life and Olivia was just one of her clients-albeit, a client whom she seemed to have liked enough to have chosen to spend time with after her hours were up. She was grateful for Natalia's insight and had enjoyed her company immensely, but she had more than fulfilled what was asked of her and had been sensible enough to bring their encounter to an end. Neither of them were nave enough to believe that the sanctuary this hotel suite had provided could be extended in reality.

She had hired two private investigators, one to track Alan's every move and the other to identify the person following her. Natalia's deductions had gotten her thinking and she wanted to be sure that Alan, and not Phillip, was her real tormentor. And when she did, she wanted to make sure that she had enough dirt on him to show him that Olivia Spencer was not someone who took kindly to being manipulated and blackmailed. Her past records might say different, but people change. In having to protect someone other than herself, someone she loved above herself, she had had to learn self-respect and love.

So if Alan persisted on playing with fire, someone had to demonstrate to him just how badly fire could burn.

It was time for her to return to Springfield.


	3. Chapters 10 to 14

**Warnings and Disclaimers**: This AU story contains adult themes and language, and deals with the sex industry, which might not be to everyone's taste, so please do NOT proceed if you are not of age or if any of that might offend you. It is rated **NC-17**.

All characters from Guiding Light do not belong to me. All the other characters do, however, so please leave them alone. This story is set in an alternate universe, where Natalia Rivera's history and timeline are greatly altered. Most of Olivia Spencer's history remain intact at this point.

I've decided not to worry too much about pre-Otalia plotline discrepancy as this is an AU after all.

**Devil Ride**

by

xenalvr

**10**

Her key was where she had left it, stuck to the top of the doorframe with a wad of gum. Natalia let herself into her small apartment and shut the door behind her. The small room held only the bare minimum: a double mattress on the floor, a portable electric stove by the kitchen sink, which doubled as her bathroom sink because the plumbing in her bathroom was broken, an old bar fridge and a second hand heater. Her clothes were neatly folded in milk crates beside a row of books. The only mess in the room was on her bed, which had been slept in by Ruth the night before. Her friend had rung her up this morning to tell her that she had crashed here, and to check that Natalia was all right.

It was a phonecall that had reminded Natalia of her life outside the hotel suite.

Natalia changed out of her clothes and looked around the sparse room with her hands on her hips. This place had been her home for the past six months or so, but she wasn't going to miss it when she left. She walked over to the broken air-conditioning unit at the corner of the room and removed its front grille, reaching in for a ziplock bag that held most of her savings.

It wasn't there.

Natalia felt her heart lurch nastily in her chest as she felt around her hidey-hole. "Dammit!" she swore, before making for the bathroom.

With her heart in her throat, she loosened a tile and blew out a breath of relief when she found her other hidey-hole undisturbed. It stung that she had been stolen from and she felt sick in the stomach, but at least she hadn't lost everything. She replaced the tile but stuffed the small bag of money into her pants pocket and exited the bathroom. Her mind was running through the possible suspects. Ruth had been here the night before but Natalia doubted that she was the thief. Ruth had her faults but, to Natalia's knowledge, she had never taken anything that wasn't hers.

That left Maria.

Natalia covered her eyes with one hand as she grimaced. The random thought of her offering her condolences to Olivia for her choice of ex popped into her head and she let out a mirthless laugh. The same could be said of about _her_ choice of ex.

She looked around for something to hit, kick, or break but, upon finding nothing suitable to vent her anger out on, sat down on her unmade bed and cried.

After her anger poured out of her in the form of tears, Natalia picked herself up and began packing. Her initial plan had been to take a few days to pack her things and decide where she wanted to head to next. Now, her plan remained the same, but she was going to carry it out today because she didn't feel at all comfortable staying in a place where she had been stolen from.

She knew that by the time she found Maria-and that was _presuming_ she could-her money would be long gone. Maria had an expensive habit which had gotten progressively worse towards the end of their relationship-if she could call it that. They had lived in each other's pockets for so long that a physical relationship had seemed like a natural progression. Not all of their times together were bad, but for now, the bad was all she could remember, and she was so over revisiting that store of memories.

Natalia didn't even bother taking one last look at the apartment before she shut the door behind her. Then she slung her bag over her shoulder and went down the stairs. Outside, it was windy and grey, reflecting Natalia's mood. She lowered her head and trudged down the familiar streets of her neighbourhood, stopping only when she reached the bus stop. There were a few people there, so Natalia stood outside the tiny shelter and placed her bag on the ground, between her feet. Then she stared unseeingly at the late afternoon traffic, her gloved hands stuck deep in her pockets.

A car slowed down when it approached the bus stop. The passenger side window rolled down.

"Going somewhere?"

Natalia's eyes flickered to the people in the backseat and her blood turned cold.

"I'm sorry."

Natalia had heard these words from Maria countless times before and not once had they amounted to anything. She didn't doubt the apology, but an apology that didn't lead to any change in behaviour was an empty one.

"Talia, I'm sorry."

Natalia sighed at Maria's hypocorism for her and finally turned to her. "Are you okay?" she asked grudgingly. Maria was bruised around her cheek and her upper lip was split. Blood crusted the side of her face and down her neck.

"Been worse."

They had been in the car for a few hours now but Natalia still didn't know where the men were taking them. Getting into the car was probably not one of the smartest decisions she'd made but she hadn't been able to ignore the sight of a bruised up Maria struggling against the man who was now in the passenger seat. Even though she was furious with Maria, she knew she wouldn't be able to live with herself if her body was found in a ditch somewhere and she had done nothing to help her.

"What's going on? You took my money, didn't you?" Natalia whispered accusingly. "It wasn't enough to get you out of... whatever the hell this is, and now you have to drag _me_ into it?" She had worked so hard for that money; to know that it was gone, all for nothing, made her so angry. Boiling mad, even. Natalia ignored the defiant glare that Maria sent her way.

"Look, I know I fucked up, _aiight_? But I didn't lead them to you. They knew who you were."

Maria's words did not make sense to Natalia. "I'm clean. I don't use, I have no pimp, I sublet... I'm practically invisible. Why would anyone know who I am to want anything of me?" Natalia demanded.

Maria shrugged. "Fuck if _I_ know." Then her face softened slightly, letting concern leak through. "These people mean business, Talia. Whatever they want... I say give it to 'em."

Natalia clenched her jaw, her mind racing and the sickening feeling in her stomach worsening. They continued the car ride in silence.

**11**

Her suite at the Beacon felt lacking in comparison to the one in Chicago. Not for the first time, Olivia wondered how it would feel like to have a real home with Emma, one where she and her daughter could create happy memories in. Maybe she would look into renting an apartment after this blew over. It would be a good welcome home present for Emma, whom she knew disliked to have to live in the hotel she owned.

Olivia sank into the couch with her drink and sighed. She had just finished an hour long phone conversation with Emma, and while she was happy that Emma was safe with Sam, she couldn't help but feel shortchanged. An hour or two a day on the phone wasn't enough; she wanted hugs and kisses and tickles and...

Her cell phone rang, showing a number she didn't recognise. Olivia considered rejecting the call but decided against it at the very last moment.

"Olivia Spencer."

Her heart lurched in her chest when she realised who the caller was.

At the end of the brief call, Oliva's thoughts were all over the place. She couldn't figure out what Alan Spaulding's deal was and she was sick and tired of always being one step behind him. She quickly finished her drink and stood up to pace the length of her room. Then she decided to deploy Natalia's brand of logic on the situation and work with what she knew.

Alan wanted her to break Gus and Harley up. She had refused, so he had hired people to create the illusion that Phillip was back. One of the investigators that she had hired had followed her stalker photographer back to the Spaulding mansion, presumably to report to Alan. It confirmed her suspicions that Alan was behind all the mischief in a bid to manipulate Olivia into helping him seduce Gus. However, with Emma out of his reach, he had no hold on her. She wasn't afraid of him, not when she knew that she was too prominent a figure for him to consider eliminating her. And despite all that Alan was, she knew that he would not hurt Emma-she was a Spaulding and family was important to Alan, despite his conniving nature.

So where did that leave her?

She didn't want to risk her calculations being wrong, so Emma would have to remain with Sam for a little longer. She was sick of being Alan's pawn, so she needed to get him off her back. What could she do to make Alan back off? Olivia frowned.

Then the solution hit her. It was so simple.

Her cell rang again, interrupting her thoughts. Her brows lifted at the name that flashed across her mobile. Speak of the devil.

"_Alan_," she drawled into her cell. "Isn't it past your bedtime?"

This phonecall was even shorter than her last. Olivia wore a triumphant smile when she hit the end call button. He was playing right into her hands and he didn't even know it. A few more phonecalls and her plan would be in place.

Ah, the age of technology. It made scheming so much easier.

**12**

The Country Club that Alan had suggested they meet at was at the outskirts of Springfield. Olivia smoothed her hair and eyed her reflection critically. She was wearing her pin-striped pants suit with no undershirt and a killer pair of heels; the look was both sultry and in control. She wanted Alan to feel off his game to find her fear at Phillip's threat dissipated.

She caught sight of Alan from a distance. His salt and pepper coloured hair was impeccable and the light dusting of facial hair made him look distinguished instead of unkempt. He had so much going for him... if only he knew how to be content. Olivia shook her head self-deprecatingly at the thought. Talk about pot calling the kettle black. If anything, the last few days had made her realise just how fortunate she was. She never wanted to end up like Alan.

Olivia reached Alan and placed a hand on his elbow. She watched surprise flash across his face at the contact. Steering him into the dining area, Olivia threw a casual backward glance. When she caught what she was looking for, she smiled inwardly.

"How have you been, Alan?" she asked, turning her full attention to him.

"Well." Alan sounded at a loss for words. "No one's asked me that in a long time. I suppose... I'm good." He narrowed his eyes at her. "You seem different," he commented.

He was about to pull out a chair for Olivia when the _matre d'_ led them to their table when Olivia flashed him a smile. "Shall we sit somewhere more private, Alan? Like..." Olivia turned her head and scanned the room. "Like there?" she said, pointing at an empty two seater table against the wall. It afforded a good view of the sparsely populated dancefloor and eating area, but was unobtrusive at the same time.

The _matre d'_ glanced at Alan, who tilted his head. "As you wish."

They placed their drink orders the moment they settled into their seats and the _matre d'_ left them to peruse the menu. It was a little late for dinner; most of the patrons were done with their meal. Olivia pushed her menu aside and leaned back in her seat with her arms crossed in front of her. "So, what did you want to see me about, Alan?"

Alan lifted a brow. "Skipping the pleasantries as usual, Olivia?" He pushed his menu aside as well. "I'm just concerned and wanted to see how you're doing, that's all."

"Oh?" Olivia said, giving Alan an arched look, encouraging him to continue.

"Phillip is my son and I love him, but we both know that he is unstable," Alan said gravely. Their conversation paused when their drinks arrived. Then Alan continued, "I was also hoping that you might have changed your mind about... what we talked about."

Olivia took a sip of her drink. "Oh, you mean about seducing Gus in exchange for protection from Phillip?" Before he could answer, however, she asked, "May I ask why you want to break Gus and Harley up? What's in it for you?"

"All I can say is, I only want what's best for my family."

Olivia narrowed her eyes. "And not protecting Emma, your _granddaughter_, against a possible kidnapping by her mentally unstable father is what's best for her?" She watched his mouth sag open slightly and smirked inwardly. From Alan's perspective, he knew nothing untoward would happen to Emma because he was the person behind all the mischief but he neglected to think about how it might seem to everyone else.

The music changed in the background, distracting them from their conversation. The dancefloor had filled up while they were talking. Olivia lifted her brows at the kind of music they were playing. She didn't frequent the Country Club and had never been here at this hour. Her eyes caught sight of a familiar figure and widened in surprise at the impact she felt slamming into her.

_Baby let me love you downnn  
There's so many ways to love ya  
Baby I can break you downnn  
There's so many ways to love ya  
Got me like, ooh myy gosh I'm soo in love  
I found you finally, you make me wanna say  
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh,  
Oh-my-gosh_

"See someone you know, Olivia?" Alan asked shrewdly.

"Hm? No." Olivia returned her attention to her drink, feeling a little shaky.

_I fell in love with shawty when I seen her on the dance floor  
She was dancing sexy, pop, pop, popping, dropping, dropping low  
Never ever has a lady hit me on the first sight  
This was something special, this was just like dynamite  
Honey got a booty like pow, pow, pow  
Honey got some boobies like wow, oh wow  
Girl you know I'm loving your, loving your style  
Check, check, check, check, check, checking you out like,  
Ooh she got it allll  
Sexy from her head to the toe  
And I want it all, it all, it all_

"Actually," Olivia said, making a show of squinting her eyes at the dancefloor. "I think I might have. I just want to be sure..." she said, trailing off. Her eyes were drawn back to a lithe body.

_Natalia_.

The distant look on her face coupled with the sensual and fluid motions as she moved to the music created some sort of magnetic field around her-one that said: you can look but you can't possibly imagine touching this. Olivia took a long sip of her drink. A quick look at Alan told her that he was also giving Natalia his undivided attention. The open look of admiration on his face irked Olivia and she longed to throw her drink in his face.

_Feel so hot for honey out of all the girls up in the club  
This one got me whipped, just after one look, yep I fell in love  
This one something special, this one just like dynamite  
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, out of sight  
Fell in love with honey like my, oh my  
Honey looking wonderful; fly, so fly  
Honey like a supermodel; my, oh my  
Baby how you do that, make a grown man cry?_

Natalia was garbed in a classy teal-coloured dress that bared her neck, arms and legs that seemed to go on forever. Its flowy material enhanced her sensual look. Sexy, classy and untouchable. Olivia felt her mouth go dry again and she picked up her drink only to find it empty.

_Ooh baby, you got it alll  
Sexy from her head to the toe  
And I want it all, it all, it all_

Images from their time together flooded into Olivia's head unbiddened and her heart flipped in her chest. This woman made her feel like none other. She forcefully steered her gaze away and took a moment to recollect herself. She made a quick decision and pushed her chair back noisily, causing Alan to turn to her in surprise. "It's the bitch who stole from me when I was in Chicago," she said angrily, pasting a sneer on her face. "I don't know what she's doing here, but she better still have my money or there'll be hell to pay."

The look on Alan's face told her that he wasn't shocked at what she was saying and was deciding if he believed her. She amped up her performance. "No one takes from Olivia Spencer and gets away with it," she hissed, her eyes narrowed. "Excuse me, Alan. I have some unfinished business to attend to."

With that, she made to stomp towards the dancefloor but was stopped by Alan. "Are you talking about Natalia?" he asked casually.

Olivia froze and quickly schooled her expression into one of confusion. "No, I'm talking about Jessica. Who are _you_ talking about?"

"Her." Alan jerked his head.

Olivia turned, taken by surprise at the presence of Natalia beside her. She felt a little heady at her sudden nearness but remembered that the show had to go on. She narrowed her eyes. "You!" she spat out. "Bet you never thought you'll be seeing me again."

Natalia's look of fear and surprise was evident. "I..." She looked at Alan helplessly. "I told you I was telling the truth," she said, her voice shaky. "Now do you believe me?"

Alan looked from one woman to the other and crossed his arms in front of him. He finally nodded and stood up. "Well, Olivia..." he began, only to be interrupted quite abruptly.

"Natalia... Rivera?"

Three heads swivelled around simultaneously at the flabbergasted exclamation from one Gus Aitoro.

**13**

None of the scenarios that had gone through her head about what might happen tonight had prepared her for this. Natalia was first confounded that anyone in Springfield would know her first _and_ last name. And when she finally recognised the man who had said her name, she was taken aback at the blast from the past; standing there with a shocked expression on his face was the person who had impregnated her when she was sixteen. The reminder of the loss of her child followed the realisation in a form of a dull ache.

"Gus! What are you doing here?"

Natalia's reverie was broken by Alan, who looked equally shocked and a tad worried at the sight of the man whom she had known by the name Nicky.

"I... Olivia. She asked me to be here."

Natalia saw the confusion warring on Nicky's-no, Gus's-face. The group's attention shifted to Olivia; Natalia's gaze softened when it rested on Olivia's profile. She never thought she would see Olivia again but, as fate would have it, Alan had deemed her worthy of his attention. So here she was, standing shoulder to shoulder with the woman once again, breathing in the scent that she had branded Olivia's.

Her car ride had ended at a sprawling mansion, where she had been introduced to Alan Spaulding. The man had been polite enough, and had even apologised for the manner in which he had procured her person. The moment he had asked her about her connection to Olivia, however, she had instinctively known that he was the person responsible for all the mischief in Olivia's life.

He hadn't believed her when she told him that she didn't know Olivia. He had first shown her photographs of herself walking away from the hotel, then photographs of a dishevelled looking Olivia in her bathrobe, presumably chasing after her. The realisation that Olivia had come after her had made her feel all sorts of conflicting emotions that she had firmly stashed in the back of her head to revisit at a later time.

"I'm sorry you had to find out this way about Alan's plans for you, Gus," Olivia said evenly. Natalia returned her attention to the woman standing next to her, suddenly feeling like everything was going to be okay for the first time in what seemed like forever. "Personally, I'm sick of all the blackmailing and manipulating. And I thought you'd appreciate hearing about what's going on behind your back from Alan himself."

Olivia's words seemed to have the desired effect on Gus, who immediately turned to Alan with a look of disgust. "I can't believe you'd stoop so low."

Natalia watched the unfolding drama in growing fascination. She inched towards Olivia unconsciously, glad that she had put her trust in her. When she had been presented with the photographs, she had quickly concocted a plausible story for Alan, allowing her trepidation at being caught in a lie to come through as fear at being caught for stealing from Olivia. Alan had been amused when she had expressed her fake belief that he was hired by Olivia to track her, in a bid to retrieve the stolen money. Then once she had gotten a chance, she had placed a call to Olivia, wanting to give her a heads up but not expecting much to come of it; Olivia was proving her wrong.

"And since we're on the Alan bashing wagon, I'd like to add that I know you're the one behind the trashing of my room at the Beacon, Alan. You sent Emma the present whom I thought was from Phillip, and you had someone stalk and photograph me while I was in Chicago. I want all of it to stop, Alan. I want Emma and I to be left alone," Olivia said firmly.

Natalia noted that with every additional accusation, Alan shrank a little bit more. But when Olivia mentioned Emma, he straightened up again. "Emma is family," he said self-righteously. "She belongs with the Spauldings."

Olivia's stance grew predatory. "If you even _think_ the word 'custody', I will bring you down so fast, you wouldn't know what hit you. Emma is _my_ daughter. And if you even think to threaten that, it will be over for you. I'll _redefine_ the word 'over' with what's left of you after I'm done with you."

Olivia's voice was low but Natalia doubted that anyone present didn't believe the truth of her words.

"Is that clear enough?"

When Alan turned away stiffly, Natalia blew out a breath discreetly. Olivia turned to her next even though she was still addressing Alan. "Now if you gentlemen will excuse me, I have a thief to hand over to the police."

"No, wait. How much did she steal from you?" Natalia frowned in confusion at the concern in Gus's voice. "Whatever sum of money she took, I'll pay." Natalia's brows jumped into her hairline at that.

"I can solve my own problems. It's not like we know each other anymore," Natalia said blandly, looking defiant. She threw Olivia a glance. "I'll go with her. But before I do, I want to know what you've done with Maria," she said, turning to Alan. "I told you I wasn't lying. I don't know this woman apart from having stolen from her. Now you have to let my friend go."

Alan shrugged. "I already did. Last night." Natalia narrowed her eyes at him, causing him to sigh. "I have no use for her. I had my men take her back to Chicago last night."

She felt Olivia's hand wrap around her elbow and allowed Olivia to pull her along. "Let's go."

"Wait! Olivia, can we talk about this?" Gus spoke up again.

Olivia swung around. "What's it to you?" she asked, sounding irritated.

"We may not know each other anymore," Gus said, meeting Natalia's eyes with his own, "But you're the mother of my child and I don't want to have to tell Rafe that his mother's in jail for stealing."

Natalia's breath caught in her throat. "I don't know what you're talking about," she managed to choke out.

Gus let out a mirthless laugh. "You know, Raphael, our son. The one you gave up and had your family send to me when he wasn't even a week old?"

Natalia's hand went to her throat and she could feel tears building up behind her eyes. She blinked them down and took a deep breath. She felt Olivia moving closer-the hand wrapped around her elbow was helping holding her up instead of holding her captive. She leaned against Olivia for support. "My... I thought..." Natalia took another deep breath and tried again. "They told me he was stillborn. I... never knew..."

She could feel Gus's eyes on her, trying to assess the truth of her words. Her thoughts were all over the place; she needed to get out of here.

"Look, all this is very touching but I don't have all night," Natalia heard Olivia say. "I'll reconsider sending her to the cops. But from now till I make a decision, I'm not letting her out of my sight, so she's coming with me. You gentlemen have a good night. And Gus, we'll be in contact."

With that, Natalia allowed Olivia to steer her out of the Country Club and towards her car. When they were safely inside the vehicle, Natalia dropped her face into her palms and shuddered.

**14**

The drive to the Beacon was a silent one. Olivia tried to concentrate on the road while her mind processed what had just happened. She couldn't even begin to imagine what Natalia must be feeling right now if she herself was flabbergasted at the completely unexpected turn of events. She thought back at her rationale for picking Natalia up from the streets and did a mental roll of eyes-of all the working girls on the street that night, of _course_ she had to pick someone who had not only been involved with someone from the Spaulding family, but had birthed their child too! That would make Emma and Natalia's son cousins. Which further meant that Natalia and she were connected by the six degrees of _blood_ separation.

_Christ!_

Olivia snuck a peek at her the object of her thoughts; Natalia was staring blankly out of the window. Olivia drove to her reserved spot in the parking lot of the Beacon, carefully slotted herself in, and killed the car engine after a short idle period.

"Where are we?"

Olivia rubbed the back of her neck gingerly as she turned to Natalia. "The Beacon Hotel. It's where I live."

Natalia frowned at Olivia. "You live in a hotel?" she asked dully. "Isn't that ridiculously expensive?"

Olivia shrugged. "I own it. It seemed like a good idea until recently."

Natalia blinked several times. "You _own_ a hotel?"

Olivia suddenly felt a little self-conscious and briefly wondered if the careless way in which she spoke about her wealth was offensive in any way. "Sorry, what did you say?" she asked when she missed the rest of what Natalia said.

"I said, I shoulda charged you more for those ten hours," Natalia repeated in a wry tone. "It was pretty hard work having to soak in the spa and sleep naked between thousand thread count sheets."

"Oh?" Olivia murmured, then tried to block out the images Natalia's words put in her head. She cleared her throat softly when she failed. A part of her was glad that Natalia was making a joke; it eased her worry a little and gave her hope that things for Natalia would not have to crash rock bottom before they looked up. "And after? Was that hard work too?" she couldn't help asking.

Natalia smiled faintly before getting out of the car. Olivia rolled her eyes at herself and grumbled under her breath about selfish people asking stupid questions at completely inappropriate times. There Natalia was, trying to process the news that the son whom she had thought to be dead for a decade was actually alive and well, and Olivia was trying to get her to, what, stroke her ego? She exited the car and cast Natalia a sideway glance while they made their way to the elevator out of the parking lot.

When the elevator doors slid close, Natalia said softly, "What happened after was hardly work."

Olivia could not help feeling pleased at Natalia's answer. Then she felt guilty for feeling pleased at a time like this. "Would you like a room of your own?" she asked instead of continuing the thread of conversation. "It's the least I can do for the trouble I've indirectly caused you."

She watched Natalia consider her offer and chewed on her lower lip nervously at the shake of Natalia's head. "If you don't mind, I... I think I need company tonight."

It actually felt good to have their roles reversed, Olivia thought idly when she responded with a single nod. She led Natalia to another elevator that led up to the rooms. When the elevator doors once again shut the outside world out, Natalia said, "Olivia Spencer."

Olivia flicked her eyes to Natalia's face.

"I like it. It suits you."

"Natalia... Rivi-_era_, was it?" Olivia responded.

Natalia shook her head gently. Olivia noted the brief clench of jaw before she was corrected. "Ri-_ve_-ra."

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Natalia Rivera," Olivia said, trying to inject a playful, seductive note into her statement in a bid to prevent Natalia from thinking too much about whatever was obviously troubling her. The elevator doors slid open and the women stepped out together. Olivia dug for the key card to her suite.

"Why did you come after me?"

Natalia's voice was small and unsure. Olivia closed the door behind them and cautiously asked, "What do you mean?"

"Alan Spaulding showed me some photographs taken on the day I left your suite in Chicago. You came after me... why?"

Olivia scratched her forehead distractedly, suddenly needing a drink badly. She made a beeline for the mini fridge and retrieved a bottle of vodka. Different possible responses flitted through her mind. But when her gaze landed on Natalia once again, she blew out a breath and spat out the simplest, most honest one. "I didn't want you to go."

"Why?" Natalia's voice broke and Olivia grimaced. Before she could answer, however, Natalia continued in a bitter voice, "I'm a working girl, I might be a drug addict for all you know. Hell, you can't even be sure that I'm clean. You're rich, beautiful, and obviously intelligent. There's no place for either of us in each other's world."

Olivia shrugged. "I didn't want you to go," she repeated herself obstinately. She carried the two glasses of drink that she had mixed over to where Natalia was standing by a couch. "Drink?"

Natalia took the glass from Olivia and lifted it to her lips.

"Are you?" Olivia asked after Natalia took a sip of her drink. She had sat herself down on the couch and was finding it a little hard to believe that Natalia was in her suite at the Beacon.

"Am I what?"

Olivia shrugged. "A drug addict and STD-infected?" She watched Natalia's eyes widen and her brows knit together.

"_No_!"

"Well then there's nothing to talk about here, is there?" At the slump in Natalia's shoulders, Olivia stood up and walked over to her. "Hey," she said, peering up Natalia's lowered face. "Did you wanna take a shower? I don't even know what Alan put you through to get you here. And you mentioned a friend? If you want, I'll send someone to check that she's okay."

Olivia was aware that none of them were willing to broach the topic of the existence of Natalia's son. "All my things are at Alan Spaulding's place," Natalia said with a sigh.

"He made you pack a bag?" Olivia asked, confused.

Natalia cracked a small smile at that. "No. I was... leaving town. His men picked me up at a bus stop. They had my friend in the back. She was hurt." She blew out a shaky breath. "I think I need to sit down."

"Natalia?" Olivia waited for Natalia to sit down before she continued in a quiet voice. "Alan didn't... hurt _you_, did he? Because if he did... I will crush him."

Natalia couldn't identify the huge swell of emotion in her chest at Olivia's words. She had been on her own for so long that she had forgotten how it felt like to have someone in her corner. Suddenly, Natalia felt as though she was standing at the edge of a precipice-one that required her to put her trust in someone else again.

Then she realised, even as she thought it, how silly the thought was. She wouldn't be here if she didn't trust Olivia. The realisation scared her more than she would admit; she barely even knew the woman. The ease with which Olivia had snuck past her defenses-whether or not Olivia knew it-was alarming.

Natalia belatedly noticed that Olivia was waiting for her response, and had adopted a tensed posture at the growing silence. "No, he didn't." She saw the tension leak out of Olivia at her admission and wondered yet again why Olivia cared. She felt a growing sense of panic and her instincts were screaming for her to run. "I'll go grab that shower now, if you don't mind," she said. At the slight tilt of Olivia's head, she fled.

She ran a bath for herself and took her time removing her make-up and washing her face. By the time she stepped into the warm, bubbly tub of water, Natalia was feeling much more relaxed. She could feel her the events of the past few days crowding outside her mind's door, waiting to burst in and overwhelm her. So she squeezed her eyes shut and tried to reinforce the locks on the door, wanting to hold them at bay.

It was no use.

Raphael was alive. He was alive and her parents had lied to her and had given him to Nicky or Gus or whatever name he went by these days. He was alive and she had missed his first smile, his first step, his first word... and every smile, step and word since then. And for what? Intolerance, ignorance, the need to control someone else's life? It made her feel sick to the stomach.

Was she ever going to meet him? Would she ever have a place in his life? What did he know of her? Did he hate her or think that she had given him up? Would he be better off believing what he did, whatever it was? Would he be better off if she saw and loved him from afar? It wasn't fair. It wasn't. Fair.

A lone tear trekked down a smooth cheek and fell into the cooling bath water.

Suddenly annoyed at how pathetically she was behaving, she wiped her cheek hurriedly, got out of the tub and dried herself off. She had had enough of her thoughts for a day. Upon exiting the bathroom, she found Olivia asleep on the couch in front of the television. Natalia found herself holding her breath, for fear that she might disturb Olivia's slumber.

The confident, self-assured manner in which Olivia had held herself in front of Alan and Gus was admirable and, if Natalia was completely honest, wildly attractive. She found herself helplessly drawn to this woman-never mind that they barely knew each other. Physically and mentally exhausted, Natalia could not hold up the walls that she constantly held erect around her. She curled herself up on the couch beside Olivia and snuggled up against her, winding their fingers together. The slight tensing of muscles in Olivia's body told her that she was aware of her presence and proximity. Natalia let out a sigh when Olivia shifted to accommodate her.

As she drifted off, she thought she felt a kiss on her crown. 


	4. Chapters 15 to 19

**Warnings and Disclaimers**: This AU story contains adult themes and language, and deals with the sex industry, which might not be to everyone's taste, so please do NOT proceed if you are not of age or if any of that might offend you. It is rated **NC-17**.

All characters from Guiding Light do not belong to me. All the other characters do, however, so please leave them alone. This story is set in an alternate universe, where Natalia Rivera's history and timeline are greatly altered. Most of Olivia Spencer's history remain intact at this point.

I've decided not to worry too much about pre-Otalia plotline discrepancy as this is an AU after all.

**Devil Ride**

by

xenalvr

**15**

She was cold. Even with the body of warmth pressed up against her side, she was cold. And stiff. Her limbs felt numb. Olivia finally cracked open an eye to investigate the reason for her discomfort and saw that she was still sitting upright on the couch with a sleeping Natalia curled up next to her. She blinked several times and yawned, wondering what time it was.

She gingerly extracted herself from Natalia and stretched silently. Then she went to the wardrobe to change into her sleepwear and dimmed the lights before padding back to the couch. "Natalia?" she said softly, trying to rouse the woman so that they could sleep more comfortably on her bed. Dark eyes opened to regard her sleepily. "Bed?" she asked, smiling faintly when she got a small nod in response. "Come on." She held her hand out and pulled Natalia up.

They tumbled into bed, both of them shifting to make themselves comfortable under the covers. Olivia slid a tentative arm around Natalia's robed waist and hummed softly when her action caused Natalia to turn towards her and rest her head on her shoulder. All soft smoothness and curves, Natalia felt really good against her.

"You smell nice."

Olivia started at the soft murmur and smiled. "So do you," she said truthfully. After a time, when she thought that Natalia had fallen back to sleep, she lifted a hand to run through Natalia's hair gently while her thoughts wandered. It was going to take a while before she could fall back to sleep.

"I like when you do that," came another soft murmur in the dark, making Olivia's lips curve up.

"Then I'll keep doing it," Olivia said, her voice low. She felt engulfed in the dark of the bedroom, safe under the covers on her bed. It was easy to believe that Natalia and she were the only two people who existed in the world.

"Why are you so good to me?"

Olivia's brows knitted in the dark. "Is that a trick question?" she asked at last.

"No, it's a simple one."

She couldn't believe that they were having this conversation at this time of the night. "Shouldn't you be sleeping instead of playing Twenty Questions?" she asked lightly. The scent of her shampoo on Natalia's hair was distracting her. The sheets were silky smooth wherever they came into contact with her skin, her body was comfortably stretched out on her bed, and her mind was in a mild state of drowsiness. It felt like too much work to answer Natalia's question.

"You woke me up."

Natalia sounded a lot like her seven-year-old, Olivia realised, smiling indulgently. "For the greater good," she said in defence of her action. Her eyes fluttered shut in the dark when Natalia snuggled closer and slid her hand up and down her back.

"Well, I can't fall back to sleep now."

She felt Natalia lift her face in the dark and lowered her own in response. Her blood was beginning to sing in anticipation-not of sex; it felt like a different kind of closeness that they were developing, one that sex, at this point, might somehow... belittle. "What do you want me to do about that?" Olivia asked, wondering if Natalia hear the brow-raise look in her voice.

She felt soft lips against her own and her stomach flipped in pleasant surprise. She allowed Natalia to set the pace, content to respond at leisure. Natalia's hand came to rest on the back of her neck and the light pressure it applied deepened their kiss. Olivia moaned softly when their tongues met and took her time to explore the crevices of Natalia's mouth. Her breath was getting shorter as their kiss grew longer. She palmed Natalia's waist and pulled their bodies tight against each other's.

Olivia was disappointed when Natalia broke the kiss, then whimpered when she felt smooth skin on her cheek and warm breath brushing her ear. It was next to impossible to see Natalia in the dark; relying on her other senses was doing funny things to her insides. She lifted a hand to gather Natalia's hair to one side, then let the back of her fingers trail down Natalia's neck, smiling when she heard Natalia sigh. A hot kiss on her pulse point made her shudder.

She let the back of her fingers trail lower, but stopped their trek when the tips of her fingers touched the base of Natalia's throat. She thumbed Natalia's chin and tilted her face up to begin another kiss.

This time, their kiss was passionate the moment their lips met. It made her want... all sorts of things that her brain was too jumbled to identify. She had never... This was too... The feel of Natalia's thigh sliding between her legs and coming into contact with her centre robbed her of her thoughts and she broke the kiss to gasp softly.

"You make me feel... things," Natalia said suddenly, her voice husky.

"I think I like that," Olivia said breathlessly. She touched her lips to Natalia's hair.

"Goodnight, Olivia."

Olivia slid a leg over Natalia and hooked her into an intimate embrace while she tried to calm her breathing. "G'night."

It was a long time before Olivia fell back to sleep, but she found that she didn't mind it too much at all.

**16**

Natalia lifted her head groggily and allowed the world to slowly come into focus. When it did, her brows furrowed. She was alone on Olivia's king-size bed. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and caught sight of a piece of paper on the pillow beside her. She reached for it and pulled it closer.

_Natalia,  
Work calls. Make yourself at home._

Have a huge favour to ask of you. The Beacon's hired a new chef and I'd like an impartial view on his skills. Would you be able to spare me some time and your company this evening for a test meal? I'd really appreciate it. I do so hate eating alone.

Olivia

P.S. I've asked someone to retrieve your bag. It should be in the room by the time you see this.

Olivia had even left her a key card for the room. Natalia dropped her face onto the pillow and breathed in deeply, allowing her mind to wake up fully before she attempted to process what she had just read. After a time, she cracked open her eyes and scanned the note again, this time taking the time to take in the bold, flowing penmanship, a remarkable reflection of what she had seen of Olivia's personality thus far.

A small smile crept up her face. Olivia was undoubtedly a charmer. She had phrased the dinner invitation in such a way that Natalia wouldn't feel like she was sponging off her if she consented to it. Then she slid off the bed and exited the bedroom. Her bag was standing by the door. She blinked several times, unsure if she should feel bewildered, weirded out, or pleased at being taken care of in this manner. Finally, she decided to not dwell on how she felt and rummaged through her bag for something to wear. A half hour later, Natalia stepped out of the Beacon with a map of Springfield in her hand.

Springfield wasn't a big city. It was large enough to afford annonymity if that was what one wanted, but it had a more laid back feel in comparison to Chicago. Natalia walked down South Grand Avenue, making herself concentrate on the sights instead of entertaining her tumultuous thoughts. She hopped onto a bus and found herself on Main Street a short time later, peering into the coffeehouses and shops that lined the street. The rumbling of her empty stomach saw her entering an establishment called Company in search of lunch.

"Morning!" Natalia smiled politely at the bustling redhead behind the counter who greeted her. "I'll be with you in a minute."

Natalia slid into an empty booth and looked around her, liking the warm feel of the place. The woman arrived with a menu for her, introduced herself as Blake, and began rattling off the specials.

"Is this your first time to Company?" Blake asked after she finished with the specials. Natalia nodded mutely before opening the menu. "Picked you out to be a big city girl. How long have you been in Springfield?"

Natalia gave Blake a cursory glance. "A while," she said noncommittally as she stared at the menu in her hands. "Can I have a Buzz Burger and some iced tea?" She folded the menu and handed it back to Blake. After a pause, she added, "With lotsa onions, please." And before Blake had the chance to say anything else, Natalia dug into her jeans pocket for her cell and flipped it open. While she had it out, she wrote Olivia a text message, responding to her dinner invite, only looking up at the sound of laughter.

"Cheese touch! Ew, you're mouldy, Jude!"

Natalia watched three boys walk into Company, shoving each other good-naturedly. They all looked to be about the same age.

"I can't get it anymore, I've already touched Sean!" the boy Natalia presumed was Jude answered. A second boy, most probably Sean, looked rather depressed when that fact was brought up.

"Good thing I can't get touched today," the third boy said, looking immensely pleased with himself. Natalia found herself smirking at their antics.

"That's not fair!" the depressed looking Sean complained, his shoulders slumped. "There should be a rule, like, you know..." Sean thought for a second and continued, "like, we can't be cheese touched during class because Miss Jennings won't let us change our seats and it's not my fault that I was sitting beside Mouldy Jude!"

Jude stuck his tongue out at the hypocorism and the boys began tapping each other and getting away from one another's touch as they neared Natalia. One of the boys accidentally bumped into an approaching Blake. Natalia jumped up from her seat when a glass of iced tea toppled neatly into her lap.

"Boys! Look what you made me do!" Blake exclaimed, her eyes wide.

Natalia shook her head. "It's okay, no harm done. I was due for a bath anyway." The boys were still shoving and giggling at each other, making Natalia smile. She watched Blake hurry away to fetch a tea towel to clean the mess up. Natalia swiped at her soaked jeans.

"Sorry lady," the boy who had bumped into Blake said. He seemed genuinely contrite.

"Don't worry 'bout it," Natalia said, flashing him a toothy smile. "It was an accident."

"Can we pass on the cheese touch to an adult?" Natalia heard Sean ask Jude, and chuckled under her breath.

"Don't worry, lady," the third boy whispered conspiratorially to Natalia, who lowered her head to his height to hear him. "I don't have the cheese touch, so you're fine. Just don't let Sean touch you," he said, hooking a thumb over his shoulder at his friend.

Natalia narrowed her eyes and nodded, an equally conspiratorial look on her face. "I'll be careful. Thanks for the heads up." The delighted smile that lit up the boy's face made her own smile widen.

"C'mon Rafe, let's get outta here before Blake comes back and makes us pay for that drink!" Jude urged.

Natalia started at the name. "Wait!" she said before the boys got very far. "Rafe... is that short for Raphael?" Rafe nodded with a handsome smile and Natalia's heart beat painfully against her chest. Could it be that much of a coincidence? "Do you know who Gus is?" she asked, hoping that she didn't sound like a crazy woman.

Rafe shrugged. "That's my Dad's name." And with that, he sprinted out of Company, after his friends.

Natalia covered her mouth with a shaking hand and sat back down in her seat, her appetite gone.

Olivia closed the folders laid out in front of her and blew out a breath. Sometimes she wondered why she wasn't a smoker. Then she laid eyes on the picture of Emma that stood beside one of her older daughter, Ava, and it answered her query. She glanced at the time and got up to make herself a drink; at least she had one vice to fall back on.

Her day was packed full of staff meetings and conference calls; on top of that, she had also liaised with the investigators she had hired. All was quiet at the Spaulding mansion and her tail had been recalled so she had called one of her own investigators off but kept the other on Alan to pre-empt further mischief. If everything stayed the same, she would have Emma back by her side before the week was up. The thought cheered her up and she finished her drink.

Natalia's association with Gus had completely thrown her. She didn't feel good probing too much into Gus's life because of his child with Natalia; as much as she wanted to help Natalia, she would be overstepping several boundaries if she got someone to find out more about the boy or dig into Natalia's past.

Raphael Nicholas Aitoro.

At least she knew his name now. She had seen him once or twice over the years but he had never made that much of an impression on her. The Spauldings was a huge family with convoluted relations. It would take a tireless, relentless person to get their family tree right. She knew that she had to talk to Natalia about her plans so that Alan would not see through the story they had fabricated but she was reluctant to do so. A part of her was afraid that Natalia would leave Springfield but, if she was completely honest, a bigger part of her was afraid that Natalia would stay. She didn't know how she felt about Natalia; what had begun as simple companionship was complicated by the connection she felt between them. Olivia massaged her temple, willing the headache that had been bugging her the whole day to dissipate.

Another glance at the time made Olivia finish her drink and stand up. She would think about all the complicated things another time. She had a dinner to go to.

She spotted Natalia standing by the entrance of the restaurant. A smile crept onto her face and her palms suddenly felt sweaty. Natalia painted a youthful picture in a sleeveless rose-coloured top, jeans and a worn pair of Chucks.

"Hey." Natalia lifted her eyes at the greeting and Olivia's smile widened when Natalia's face lit up with warm recognition. "Been waiting long?" When Natalia shook her head, Olivia steered her into the restaurant. "Hungry?"

Natalia shrugged. "Not really. But I could definitely use a drink."

Olivia smirked. "You and me both."

They sat across from each other at a table in a corner, away from prying eyes. "Did you have a good day?" Olivia asked after their orders were taken. Natalia hummed noncommittally. Olivia picked up the nuances in Natalia's body language and began giving a satirised version of her own day, feeling gratified each time Natalia met her eyes or smiled genuinely.

"I met Raphael today," Natalia said during a lull in Olivia's animated monologue. Olivia lifted a brow gently, indicating for her to continue. "I was at this eating place on Main Street and these boys came in and..." Natalia took a shaky breath and reached for her wine. After a sip, she continued, "One of them was called Raphael. He has a head of dark hair, thick brows, a cheeky grin... he's adorable. He says his Dad's name is Gus."

Olivia impulsively reached for Natalia's free hand and held it loosely in her own. Natalia looked down at their hands distractedly but did not pull away. "I've been thinking the whole day... He looks so happy and healthy. It wouldn't be fair if I just come in and disrupt his life, would it? He's never known me. Maybe it's better if he never does."

Olivia swallowed at the look of distress in Natalia's eyes when she finally lifted them up to meet hers. "Maybe." At the slump in Natalia's shoulders, she continued, "But you're not Raphael. And you can't decide that for him. Imagine him eight years down the road, wanting to find and get to know his biological mother. And imagine him finding you, and recognising you from today. How are you going to explain that you were right here and _chose_ to leave him this time?" Olivia paused to let her words sink in. Then she gently pressed Natalia's hand with her own. "You didn't know that he was alive, right?"

Natalia brought a hand to her throat. "My parents, they... when they found out that I was pregnant, they wanted me to have an abortion. I refused to and ran away. When I was due to give birth, the hospital notified my parents because they had to put me under. When I woke up, my parents told me that my child was a stillborn. They said I was never meant to have him." She swiped at her falling tears angrily; a bitter taste enveloped her mouth at the memory of her parents' words. "They wanted me to return home with them. I couldn't... they were relieved that my child was dead."

Olivia could feel a self-righteous anger building up inside of her. She took a deep breath to stave it off. "I can't tell you what's right or wrong, if there even exists a right or wrong, but..." She made a quick decision and forged on. "I had a daughter when I was a teenager too. Because of circumstances, I had to give her up. We didn't know our true identities when we first met and..." Olivia grimaced at the memory. "Let's just say we didn't really like each other a whole lot."

"I'm not saying that it's going to be easy. _All_ relationships are hard work. But now, Ava and I, we're friends. I can't begin to describe the way it feels to get to this point with Ava. It's nothing short of amazing and so much more. She understands that I did what I had to do, what I had _felt_ was right to do at that point of time, and..." Olivia shrugged. "I've come to terms with what I did."

Natalia stared at her for a long time. "Thank you," she said finally.

"Not sure that I did anything, but you're most welcome," Olivia replied, pulling her hand away.

"There's a vacancy in Company-that's the eating place I was at today. I think I might apply for it. The woman who works there says that there might be a room in the boarding house above them if I need somewhere cheap to rent."

Natalia was staying in Springfield. Olivia pushed the thought aside to dwell on at a later date. "I frequent Company and I know the Coopers. They're good people. You'll be well taken care of there. And until you get the job and a room at the boarding house, you can stay at the Beacon. The offer for your own room still stands."

Natalia responded with a grateful smile. "I really don't know how to thank you," she said quietly.

Olivia tilted her head. "Not that I need any thanks but... how about coming with me to get Emma when the time comes?"

Natalia looked surprised but nodded. "That's a promise."

Pleased with the way the evening was turning out, Olivia beamed. "Ready for dinner? We'll have to cleanse our palates with some sorbet before we begin. I really need an impartial judging of this new chef's skills." She rubbed her hands together in exaggerated eagerness and was delighted when Natalia chuckled.

"I think I found my appetite," Natalia said, smiling indulgently at her. "Bring it on."

**17**

They had ended the evening at the door of Natalia's new room. Olivia had arranged for her to be roomed on the floor Olivia was on, and had walked her to the smaller suite after she had retrieved her things from Olivia's suite.

Their goodnight kiss had started off chaste-a simple meeting of lips borne out of an evening of good conversation, food and company. But then she had slid her hands over Olivia's shoulders to band loosely around her neck, effectively drawing them closer to each other; and Olivia had responded, leaning in and wrapping her arms around her waist. The kiss had deepened and she had felt it in the pit of her stomach.

Natalia experienced a small shiver at the recollection of the very recently created memory that had ended with both of them feeling more than a little hot and flustered. But Olivia had had work to do and she had had her future to plan, so here she was, lounging in bed after a cool shower, trying to gather her thoughts.

The job and room at Company would give her the independence to remain in Springfield. As much as she appreciated Olivia's help, she wanted to stand on her own two feet. Olivia and she were due to meet Gus in a few days and she was hoping to get her shit sorted out so that they could discuss the possibility of her meeting and getting to know Raphael. She was glad that she had opened up to Olivia about her son; Olivia hadn't been pushy at all, and her insight had helped a lot.

Olivia, Olivia, Olivia. It was almost as though she couldn't go a second without having the woman in her head. She couldn't believe that Olivia and she had met less than a week ago. The ease with which Olivia picked up and expounded on her needs and wants was both bewildering and thrilling.

Natalia grimaced, fell back onto a pillow and pulled a sheet over her face. After a time, she pushed it away from her nose and lips so that she could breathe. Finally, she threw the sheet off of her and sat up again. She couldn't believe how much her life had changed in the last few days, and how different it was to what she had imagined her new phase in life would be. She had less than half the money she had saved up, but was currently sleeping in a luxury hotel. She couldn't apply for college like she had planned, but she was offered a chance to be in her son's life. And Olivia... Olivia was the catalyst.

Natalia groaned. She was _not_ thinking about Olivia again. She dimmed all the lights and scrambled under the covers, squeezing her eyes shut and willing herself to sleep. Then she recalled the expression on Oliva's face during dinner while chewing on a wasabi laden piece of sushi and she couldn't help the grin that crept onto her face.

Olivia felt like a counsellor of sorts when seated across Natalia and Gus in her office. It was the best place she could think up of to conduct their meeting, however. So far, they had clarified that Natalia hadn't stolen from Olivia and had told Gus the reason for their fabricated tale. Gus had been taken aback to learn of the way Natalia's parents had deceived her and of her profession, and both Olivia and Gus were relieved when Natalia revealed that she had long since decided to leave the sex industry, and was actually on her way out of Chicago when Alan's men picked her up at the bus stop.

"I told Rafe that his mother never wanted to give him up," Gus said, looking at Natalia. "I told him that you came from a less well-to-do family, and that circumstances didn't allow you to keep him by your side." He blew out a breath. "I guess it's true to some extent. I guess, in a way, I needed to believe that myself."

Natalia's stony countenance worried Olivia but she remained silent.

"He asks about you a lot. I regret that I don't even have a photo of you to show him. He's a happy kid. Harley has two sons who are around Rafe's age and they get along really well... most of the time," Gus said with a faint smile and a glimmer of pride. "Boys will be boys."

"I'd really like to get to meet him... formally," Natalia said finally, meeting Gus's eyes. "I... would really like him to know me. I-I'd really like to be his friend, at least." Olivia could sense the unsaid sentiment that Natalia hoped to one day be regarded by Raphael as his mother.

Gus nodded. "I'd like that too," he said. Olivia could see relief flooding Natalia's face and she smiled in response. "We could all meet for lunch one of these days and go from there. How does that sound?"

Natalia gave Gus and Olivia a watery smile. "I'd really like that," she said, sounding a little choked up.

"I'm sorry about the way things turned out for you, Natalia," Gus said sincerely. "I wish I knew..."

"Should I leave you two to chat further?" Olivia asked, feeling like she was intruding.

Gus shrugged and Natalia met her eyes. "I think we're kinda done here anyway." She turned her gaze on Gus. "Thank you for raising him. And thank you for being so decent and accepting. I... couldn't ask for a better father for Raphael."

"I'm the lucky one," Gus said, getting up from his seat. "I actually have to go. My lunch hour's almost up," he said regretfully before turning to Olivia. "I'm sorry about what Alan did to you, but I'm also glad that it brought Natalia here to Springfield."

Olivia mirrored Gus's action. "Don't ever let Alan know that something good actually came out of his scheming," she said sardonically, eliciting a smirk from Gus.

"Mum's the word," Gus said with a wink. Then he leaned towards Natalia to give her a hug. "I'll see you soon." He took Olivia's hand in his and shook it firmly. "And you."

Natalia followed Gus's departure with her eyes, then turned to Olivia when the door closed behind him. Olivia went around her desk and touched a hand to Natalia's cheek, gratified when Natalia didn't pull away at the familiar action. "How're you doing?" she asked softly.

"Pretty good, I guess, all things considered," Natalia replied distractedly before giving her a self-deprecating smile. "I think I need some fresh air," she announced. "How do you feel about playing hookie?"

Olivia lifted a brow and let her hand drop to her side. "I don't know... is it more fun than staff meetings, conference calls and entertaining boring potential investors?"

Natalia smiled. "How does lunch on the grass in the park sound?"

Olivia thought for a moment. "Cold?" She grinned at the roll of Natalia's eyes. "It's getting chilly. My old, frail bones can't withstand cold well." She followed Natalia out of her office, nevertheless.

"Well, I'll just have to keep you warm then," Natalia said matter-of-factly.

Olivia shook her head but was unable to keep the smile off her face. "Flirt."

Natalia gave Olivia a sideway glance. "Honest," she corrected her.

As they stepped into the elevator, Olivia found herself wondering if she had ever wanted to kiss someone as much as she wanted to kiss Natalia right that moment.

18

Natalia took the soggy salmon sandwich into the kitchen. "Buzz, someone returned... are you okay?" Natalia frowned at her new employer, who was bracing himself up with his hands on the kitchen bench. His face was pale. She quickly placed the plate in her hand on the counter next to him and peered at him in concern. "Do you need me to get you anything? You should sit down."

"I'm fine. I just... I'll be fine," Buzz said, shaking his head.

"Are you sure?" Natalia asked, unsure if she should take his word for it. "You don't look too good."

Buzz wiped a hand across his forehead. "I might have to close up for the day. I think I need to go lie down," he said finally. "Don't worry, I'll pay you for your full shift."

Natalia shook her head. "Don't worry about that. Do you want me to take you to the doctor's or something?"

"I'll be fine. It's the same bug my daughter has, I think. I just need to go lie down." He paused for a moment and grimaced. "I know you've never closed up before but do you think you could clear the tables when everyone out there is done, make sure the lights are off, and lock the doors behind you?" He reached into his back pocket for a bunch of keys, checked that it was the right bunch, and handed it to her.

"Yeah, sure. But are you sure you can drive?" Natalia asked, taking the keys from Buzz and sticking them in her pocket. "I can call you a cab or get someone to come get you."

"I'll get Marina to come get me. You'll be okay closing up on your own? Sorry about this, Natalia," Buzz said, and Natalia smiled sympathetically. Even though she had only just started working at Company for a few days, it was evident that Buzz was a great boss and she liked working at the family restaurant.

"I'll be fine," she assured him.

"Blake's got her own keys to open up tomorrow morning so if you could drop by anytime with my keys, it would be great," Buzz said before his face went a shade paler. "Okay. I... need the toilet."

Natalia grimaced in sympathy as she watched Buzz hurry away. Then she remembered the soggy salmon sandwich and sighed. The customer would have to get a refund. She exited the kitchen and went to explain the situation. Her face broke into a tentative smile at the sight of Gus and Raphael walking into the restaurant.

"Natalia," Gus said, looking surprised at the sight of her. "I didn't know you worked here."

"We're actually closing up for the day because Buzz isn't feeling too good," Natalia said regretfully, her eyes not leaving Raphael even though she was speaking to Gus. "I started work here a few days ago."

"Hey, you're the lady from the other day," Raphael piped up. Natalia nodded and bestowed a dimpled smile on him, charmed that he actually remembered her. "This is my Dad," he said, pointing at Gus, who had a hand on his son's dark head.

"Rafe, this is Natalia," Gus said, looking from Raphael to Natalia. "She's a... friend of mine." He seemed caught offguard and Natalia wasn't sure how to proceed herself either.

"Nice to meet you," Natalia said finally, sticking a hand out and felt all sorts of emotions stirring inside her chest when Raphael put his smaller hand in hers for a brief handshake. The smile on his face tugged at her heartstrings. "You don't have the cheese touch, do you?" she asked in a conspiratorial voice, much to his delight.

"Nah, I've been avoiding Sean," he replied, chortling. "He's stuck with it. The whole class is avoiding him!"

Gus snorted. "I can't believe you know what the cheese touch is," he said, shaking his head. "We'll let you get back to work then, Natalia. Rafe and I have to go somewhere else to grab dinner for the rest of the family." He seemed to consider for a moment before saying, "The boys and I are thinking of going on a picnic tomorrow, though. Would you like to join us if you don't have any plans?"

"Mom's sick," Raphael announced with a shrug. "And Dad doesn't want us to disturb her. You should come. You're cool." He nodded at Natalia.

Natalia took a deep breath and nodded, trying to keep her emotions in check. Hearing Raphael call someone else 'Mom' wrenched her heart. She knew she was being silly though, so she quickly shoved the feeling aside while keeping her smile on her face. "I would love to." She would take any chance she could to spend time with Raphael.

"Great! I'll give you a call in the morning to tell you where and when," Gus said. Then, almost like an afterthought, he added, "You should ask Olivia along too, if she's free. We haven't seen Emma in a really long time."

"But Dad, Emma's a girl!" Raphael said in a loud whisper. He turned to Natalia with an aggrieved look on his face. "Girls are crybabies," he stated matter-of-factly.

Gus gazed at Raphael, amusement dancing in his eyes. "I'm sure Emma's not a crybaby, Rafe. Moreover, Natalia's a girl too!"

Raphael frowned at his father like he was an exceptionally slow child. "Natalia's a lady, Dad. It's different."

Natalia wondered how Raphael-or Gus, for that matter-would react if she cried there and then. "I'll ask Olivia, but Emma's out of town at the moment." She watched Gus slap a hand to his forehead at the reminder of Emma's absence. "I'll see you two tomorrow then. I'd better let the customers know what's going on," Natalia said, suddenly alarmed at the possibility of bursting into tears before them.

"Bye, Natalia!" Raphael said, giving her a quick smile and wave before he and Gus left. Natalia stared after them for a long moment before she snapped out of her stupor and went back to what she was doing. Her mind, however, remained on the memory of Raphael's smile and wave.

Natalia _didn't_ want to call Olivia because she _really_ wanted to do so.

After Olivia and she had left the Beacon the day they had met up with Gus at the hotel, they had spent the day at a gazebo in the park. She knew that it was contradictory, and it probably wouldn't make sense to many people, but the more time she spent with Olivia, the _less_ she wanted to be around her because it scared her how much _more_ time she wanted with her.

_"Why _are_ you so good to me?"_

She had asked Olivia that once, in the night, snuggled up against the woman in her bed. She wasn't sure why Olivia's answer mattered so much for her to ask the question again, but she had felt compelled, as though it would settle the unexplained restlessness in her mind.

_"Because..."_ Olivia had faltered, and for a moment Natalia thought she would evade the question again, but she didn't. _"I don't think it could be any other way."_ It wasn't an elaborate answer, but its stark honesty and simplicity had taken Natalia's breath away. _"It feels right."_

Whenever she was around Olivia, she just wanted to curl up next to her and breathe her in. She wanted to run her fingers through her silky hair and kiss her senseless. She wanted to hear her voice and let its warm, husky tenor wash over her. It was crazy and maddening and confusing.

_"Why do you trust me?"_ Olivia had asked her in return.

It had been chilly. Natalia could recall the way the late afternoon sun had slanted into the gazebo, the way Olivia had studied her with those stunning eyes of hers. She wasn't sure if it had always been this way, but she could no longer meet Olivia's eyes for an extended period of time without feeling self-conscious and warm. It had been a disturbing realisation.

_"I don't know."_ It might have sounded like a cop out of an answer but it was the truth. _"I don't think it even crossed my mind that I couldn't,"_ she had added, almost as though she had been surprised at Olivia's question.

They had fallen silent after that and Natalia had distracted herself with her sandwich while sneaking peeks at Olivia, who seemed to look so... beautiful no matter what she did. Despite having been intimate with Olivia-or perhaps _because_ of it-Natalia had felt nervous even at the _idea_ of holding Olivia's hand. It was ridiculous. Ridiculous but true. And confusing as hell.

_"What?"_ Olivia had asked after a time with a faint smile on her lips. At Natalia's questioning look, Olivia had rolled her eyes. _"Why do you keep looking at me?" _she had clarified her query in a soft, affectionate tone.

Even now, Natalia's stomach flipped pleasantly at the memory of Olivia directing that tone of voice at her, and she couldn't stop the smile that curved her lips.

_"I'm not,"_ she had protested.

_"Let's not start lying to each other now. We've had quite a blameless record so far,"_ Olivia had responded and it had been another revelation for Natalia.

_"I think you're beautiful."_

There was the sun, the shade, Olivia, and her racing heart.

_"I think you are, too."_

There was the sun, the shade, Olivia's warm, husky voice, and her shaky insides.

_"I think I want to kiss you and I'm not sure how you'll feel if I did."_

There was the sun, the shade, Olivia's intent gaze, and her very dry mouth.

_"I think I've been wanting to kiss you since the moment we stepped into the elevator."_

There was only Olivia and her lips on hers, fuelling her mind with a kaleidescope of colours, robbing her of her breath.

Natalia's eyes fluttered shut at the memory as she locked Company up behind her. She stuffed the bunch of keys that Buzz had left with her into her bag and pulled her jacket tight around her. She didn't want to call Olivia because she really wanted to do so. But like the way Olivia was good to her, and like the way she trusted Olivia, it was beyond her control.

Natalia flipped open her cell and dialled Olivia's number.

Olivia was looking forward to seeing Natalia and seeing Natalia with Raphael. A part of her was appalled at her butterflies-in-stomach and giddy teenager behaviour but the other part of her that felt alive and... happy, well, that part overrode everything. It wasn't as though she could help feeling the way she felt, really.

They had kissed at the gazebo. It seemed surreal almost; the memory of her slow moving lips on Natalia's stirred up a mixture of thrill and desire in her. She hadn't even cared that they were at a park. It was significant because it more or less answered the question of how she would feel about the way Springfield might look at Natalia and her: she really didn't give a shit.

That, on its own, was such a great feeling.

So it was with a smile on her face that she knocked on the door to Natalia's room at the boarding house above Company. She frowned when it swung inward and she looked in warily.

"Natalia?" The answering groan caused her frown to deepen in concern and she hurried into the room, closing the room behind her. "Natalia, it's me. Are you okay?" Natalia was curled up in bed in a fetal position, her hands wrapped around her middle. Olivia took one look at Natalia's pale, listless face and she dropped down to her knees by the bed. "Natalia, answer me, please?" She gave Natalia's shoulder a gentle shake, feeling a rush of relief when dark eyes fluttered open.

"Hey." Natalia seemed to register the time with Olivia's appearance and her eyes rounded. "Raphael..."

"What happened? Are you okay?" Olivia asked, worried. "I can call Gus and tell him you're not feeling well -"

"No, but..." Natalia tried to get up but Oliva could see that she was in pain. "I really want to see him," Natalia said when she dropped her head back down on her pillow. Then, in a woeful voice, "I feel awful. I've been running to the bathroom the entire night."

"Oh baby..." Olivia smoothed Natalia's hair back from her face sympathetically. "I'm taking you to the doctor's and I'll call Gus and arrange for another meeting with Raphael, all right? I promise you'll see him soon." She was already mentally working out the best way to get Natalia to her car.

Natalia curled up a little bit more and nodded feebly. "I've taken some medication to settle my tummy. I think I caught Buzz's bug. You should go just in case you catch whatever this is."

"I'm not leaving you alone here," Olivia said with a frown. Natalia's room didn't have an ensuite bathroom. That explained why her door wasn't shut properly. "You're coming with me," she said firmly.

"Olivia, I'll be fine."

"Can you stand? We could wait till you feel like you can," she said, ignoring Natalia's protest. "You can have Emma's room until you feel better."

"Olivia -"

Olivia cupped Natalia's cheek. "Natalia, please?" She watched slightly out-of-focus eyes flutter shut before Natalia nodded with a resigned expression. "Shall we?" She smiled when Natalia wrapped her hands around her neck and pulled herself upright on her bed, burying her face in the crook of her neck.

"What?" Olivia asked when she couldn't catch what Natalia mumbled into her neck. Then she smiled when Natalia repeated herself. "You know, you always ask the hardest questions."

"Rhetorical."

Olivia bit back a grin as she helped Natalia throw a few things into a bag. Even a question as simple as 'Why do you always smell so good?' made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside because it came from Natalia; doubly so because it was mumbled into her neck in a small voice. "You like to get the last word, don't you?"

"Maybe."

Natalia smiled faintly after Olivia helped her into her car and buckled her in. Olivia didn't move to her side of the car, however, and waited for Natalia to turn to her.

"What?" Natalia asked quizzically.

"We're gonna be talking for a long, long time then."

Olivia's smile widened when Natalia snorted and rolled her eyes at her, wincing slightly. She closed the car door, went around the car and slid into the driver seat, feeling a little guilty for feeling happy when Natalia was feeling under the weather. Then she turned to catch a narrowed eye glint from Natalia and the guilt dissipated because she knew that Natalia enjoyed being with her too, despite the circumstances. She quickly maneuvered the car into traffic.

"Will you go meet Raphael for me?" Natalia asked suddenly, breaking Olivia's reverie. "Tell him that I really, really wanted to be there? And that I didn't cook up an excuse to not go to the picnic?"

There were a few things Natalia did and said, Olivia realised, that made her chest swell with an ache she could not define. And this was one of them. "Of course, if you want me to." She could grab her camera on her way out and take a few pictures of Raphael for Natalia, she decided. It made her wish that Emma was here. Her Jellybean would have loved to hang out with the boys.

"Thank you."

Olivia returned her attention to the road. "You know I'd do anything for your smile, right?" The moment the words left her lips, she felt an immense wave of self-consciousness crash over her. She could feel Natalia's eyes on her profile and her cheeks burned. She drove silently, not daring to turn her face, attempting to appear nonchalant. She almost jumped when she felt Natalia's hand on hers on the gear shift. Her breath caught when she Natalia rub the tips of her fingers against her skin. Then Natalia retracted her hand.

It irked her in the best way possible that Natalia could get the last word in without actually having to utter a single word.

**19**

Olivia was late meeting Gus and his sons but she had to make sure that Natalia was settled, comfortable and asleep before she would leave-although, she had a sneaking suspicion that Natalia had feigned sleep so that she would stop fussing over her. The thought made her smile. She found that she liked taking care of Natalia. As she hurried towards Gus, however, she carefully tucked those thoughts away. She wasn't sure what Gus would think about whatever this was between Natalia and herself and she did not want to jeopardise any chance of Natalia getting to know Raphael. In this case, it would pay to be prudent; she, for one, would never let anything or anyone get between Emma and herself.

"Olivia," Gus greeted her with a relaxed smile. He seemed to be enjoying his day out with his sons. "There must be a bug going around or something. Harley's under the weather too. Is Natalia okay?"

Olivia leaned in to give him a quick hug hello. "I'm sure she'll be all right after a few days. She really wanted to be here though. She was really looking forward to spending time with Raphael." She looked around for the boy and spotted him running after a frisbee. Returning her attention to Gus, she said, "I brought a camera. Do you think it'll be all right to take a few pictures of Raphael for Natalia?"

"Of course," Gus said, then paused, giving her an assessing look. After a time, he commented, "You seem to really care about her."

Olivia wasn't quite sure what to say to that and took a moment to frame her response. "She's a good person who's had a tough lot in life and... I do think she genuinely wants to be a part of Raphael's life," she said carefully.

Gus let out a breath and nodded. "Raphael seems to like her, which is a good start," he conceded. "I'm still reeling from what she told me. It's hard to reconcile the girl that I knew with the woman she is now." He gave Olivia a crooked smile and she found herself appreciating his boyish good looks. "And I have to say, you're different to the person I thought and heard you were... no offense."

Olivia bristled a little at that but found herself unable to fault him for his honesty. She had had so much history with the Spauldings, most of which weren't good. "None taken," she said finally, with a shrug.

"Shall we join in the game of frisbee?" Gus asked, already moving towards the boys.

"Sure," Olivia said, following Gus's lead, lamenting at Emma's absence once again.

It didn't take long before she saw that Gus was great with the boys. He was their father, older brother and best mate, all rolled into one. A part of her wondered if she'd have given Alan's request for her to seduce Gus more thought if she had seen this side of him. Like the other Spaulding men, he was charming and good looking. And, like Natalia had said during their little meeting at the Beacon, he seemed rather decent as well.

"Whoa, good throw!"

Olivia gave Zack a full-fledged smile at his off-hand compliment and pushed her aviator sunglasses up onto her head. She had to admit that she was surprised at the amount of fun she was having with the boys, who had warmed up to her quickly. "I think I'm gonna take a break," she called out.

"How about some lunch, guys?" Gus asked, looking around him. The enthusiastic response was instantaneous. "What about you, Olivia?" he asked, resting his gaze on her. "I packed a huge picnic basket."

Olivia thought about it and shook her head. "Sounds good but I think I'll pass. I might call it a day and go check on Natalia to see if she's okay. Thanks for a lovely time, though." She thought Gus and the boys looked a little disappointed at her decision and it warmed her. "Maybe we can do this again when Emma's back and Natalia's feeling better," she suggested.

"Great idea," Gus said before looking at his sons. "What do you guys think about that?" he asked, his gaze resting on Raphael, who looked like he was more interested in tackling Jude to the ground instead of listening to his father. "Settle down, guys. I'm talking to you. Jude. Raphael."

"Oh, how about some photo taking before we leave?" Olivia asked, suddenly remembering her camera. "Natalia would love to see some pictures of the fun we had today," she said to the boys. "She really wanted to be here."

The three boys shuffled their feet and began shoving each other playfully. "Stop grumbling, Rafe," Gus said goodnaturedly after rounding them up. "You always grumble the most but mysteriously appear in all the photos. It's like you like your photos taken or something crazy like that."

"I do not!" Raphael protested weakly, and Olivia caught him sneaking a peek at her. She snapped a candid shot of him, peered at it and began laughing at the image that she had captured. He immediately demanded to take a look at the picture and let out a small exclamation when Olivia backed away playfully.

"How about a group shot?" Gus asked, following Olivia and Raphael's antics with a patient smile.

"I think you should listen to your Dad, young man," Olivia said with mock sternness.

"But I wanna see the picture that you took," Raphael protested.

"Come on, buddy. Let's get on with it. I think your brothers are hungry," Gus said, waving them over.

Olivia ruffled Raphael's hair and showed him the candid shot. "I'll delete it if that's what you really want," she said, then added, "I think it's really cute, though." She smirked when she saw him grimace at the picture. He handed the camera back without deleting it, however. "I think I might enlarge it and put it up on my wall," she said, watching for his response.

"Ew!" He immediately reached for the camera again and Olivia laughed.

"Come on, Rafe! I'm hungry!" Zack yelled out for his brother.

"Give Natalia our best," Gus said after the group shots were taken. "Are you sure you don't wanna join us for lunch?"

Olivia nodded with a smile. "Next time." She felt the urge to see Natalia even though she had had a great time with the boys.

"All right then. Next time. It's good to see you, Olivia," Gus said, leaning over to give her a quick peck on her cheek, much to her surprise. "I'm glad you had fun." Dark eyes studied her features.

"Thanks for the invite," Olivia said, taking a step backwards. "Bye guys!" she called out to the boys, who were already stuffing their faces with sandwiches and cakes. The sight made her smile. She shared one last look with Gus before walking away.

Suddenly wanting to hear her daughter's voice, she fished out her cell after getting into her car and dialled Sam's number. She put the call on loudspeaker as she pulled out of the parking lot. "Hey Jellybean," she said warmly as she drove. "I miss you so much, baby. What do you think about coming home really soon...?"

Her suite was dimly lit when she returned. Olivia placed her bag on the couch and padded quietly to Emma's room and sought out Natalia's form on the bed. She jumped when a voice sounded behind her.

"How was your day?"

"Natalia," she said, turning around with a faint smile. "How're you feeling?" she asked, taking in Natalia's damp hair and robe cladded body. She was glad that Natalia had felt good enough to take a shower.

"Bit better soaking in the tub," Natalia said ruefully as she neared Olivia. "How's Raphael?"

"Good. We missed you," she said softly, her heart skipping a beat when Natalia stopped in front of her, a tad closer than a normal friend would. She raised a hand to touch a cool, smooth cheek. "I'm glad you're feeling better. Are you hungry?" Her stomach flipped when Natalia closed the remaining distance between them, rested her damp head on her shoulder and slid her hands around her waist. She liked the way Natalia's hair smelled of her shampoo.

"Not really."

Natalia's small voice tugged at her heartstrings. Olivia let her eyes flutter shut briefly at their contact. "You have to eat something. How about I order up some soup for you?" she suggested. The knowledge that Natalia was naked under the robe heated her blood.

"Will you have something too?"

Food wasn't exactly what Olivia was hungering for but she nodded. "Of course. I'm starving," she said. "I took some pictures of Raphael. Come have a look at them while I order us something." She steered Natalia towards the couch and rummaged through her bag for her camera.

"I... thank you," Natalia said when she flipped through the pictures on Olivia's digital camera. "He's beautiful," she said wistfully with a hand around her throat.

"He's a great kid. We had a lot of fun. When you feel better, we can hang out together, with Emma," Olivia said after hanging up the phone with room service. She went to sit beside Natalia and leaned in to look at the camera screen.

"You're beautiful too."

Natalia's soft comment made Olivia's stomach flip again. She looked at the group shot that she had taken with Gus and the boys and smiled. "It's a good picture," she said modestly, then blushed lightly when Natalia's eyes found hers. "Stop doing that," she admonished Natalia softly.

"What?"

"Never mi -" Olivia stopped in mid-word when Natalia twined their fingers together and leaned in against her. She hummed softly in her throat, then let out a small sigh. "I like this... whatever this is," she declared honestly in a low tone. She felt a little queasy and her heart was tripping but she trudged on. "I like being around you."

She worried about the lack of response for a bit, then decided that she hadn't said those words for any kind of response. She just wanted Natalia to know what she felt. But of course, a positive response would be ideal...

Her train of thought was interrupted by the bell. But before she could untangle herself from Natalia, she found her face clasped between Natalia's hands. The chaste kiss on her lips sent a rush of warmth through her body.

"Sweet."

The word was soft, barely a whisper, uttered a breath away from her lips. "Sorry?" Olivia asked, slightly dazed and confused.

"Your lips."

Olivia's breath caught when Natalia touched a finger to her lips and her mouth went dry.

"You."

Natalia's eyes met hers, and Olivia's heart began tripping again.

"Sweet," Natalia said again before pulling away slowly and leaning back on the couch. "And I think you should get the door," she said in a normal tone of voice, dark eyes glinting mischeivously. "Don't want the food to get cold."

Olivia narrowed her eyes at Natalia's smirking face. "I can learn to _not_ like you quite easily, you know."

"Sure you can," Natalia said lightly.

Olivia could feel Natalia's eyes on her as she made her way to the door and was glad that she had decided to squeeze into a tight pair of denim jeans that morning.

Natalia dried her hands and gingerly made her way out of the bathroom. The chicken soup that Olivia had ordered up for her hadn't sat well with her at all. She went over to the couch where Olivia was, curled herself into a ball and snuggled up against her, grateful for her warmth. This was more like food poisoning than a bug; she had probably eaten something bad at Company.

"I got you a hot water bottle," Olivia said sympathetically.

Natalia pressed the hot water bottle against her tummy and recurled herself. "Thank you." She liked the way Olivia was stroking her hair. She liked the way Olivia was taking care of her. She liked... "You don't have to keep me company if you've got better things to do," she mumbled into Olivia's shoulder.

"Mm... I _do_ have a lot of other things to do," Olivia said, not pausing her hand's stroking motion. "...but nothing _better_ comes to mind."

Natalia smiled against Olivia's shoulder and watched her pick up the television remote. She liked the way Olivia made her feel important.

"Let's see what movies are available," Olivia said, scrolling down the menu. "How about 'Saw'?"

"Scary," Natalia mumbled.

"Oh yeah, I remember how you're like with scary movies," Olivia said, and snickered. Natalia glared at Olivia through slitted eyes, then winced slightly. Apparently, it hurt to show mock anger. She decided to let the teasing slide, so as not to incur more discomfort. "Something romantic, maybe?" Olivia continued, chewing on her lower lip. "How about... 'Management'?"

"Never heard of it," Natalia said softly, trying not to move; she had found a position in which she didn't feel discomfort in her tummy, and she didn't want to lose it.

"It sounds interesting," Olivia said, and chose the movie before turning to Natalia. "Are you comfy?"

Natalia met Olivia's enquiring gaze and hummed her approval. Then she caught Olivia's hand in hers, loosely tangled her fingers together and let out a small sigh. She wasn't feeling too good, her life was hardly sorted, most of her savings were gone, and she wasn't sure how things would go between Raphael and her. But despite all that, she felt content in this moment. Happy, if she could hazard using the word. Safe.

It was the most bizarre thing in the world.

"Can I kiss you?"

Olivia's voice broke her reverie and the abrupt question made her smile. It felt like they were on a movie date. Her answer was written all over her face and Olivia, upon reading it correctly, sought her lips out with her own. Natalia felt her eyes flutter shut as she surrendered to the kiss.

She liked kissing Olivia. She liked the way Olivia's lips slid against hers; the way Olivia's tongue touched and tangled with hers; the way Olivia sometimes scraped her teeth against her lower lip; the way Olivia moaned when their kisses heated up. But the kiss they were currently sharing wasn't designed to ignite lust. It was slow and pleasurable and satisfying.

"Is it wrong to want to rip a sick person's clothes off?"

Natalia chuckled at Olivia's breathy question when the kiss broke off. Apparently the kiss had had the opposite effect on Olivia. "A little," she said playfully before nuzzling Olivia's neck.

"Oh, you really shouldn't do that," Olivia said, her scratchy voice sending a slight thrill through Natalia's body. Knowing that she was the one who made Olivia sound that way made her stomach flip. She nipped at Olivia's neck and smiled when Olivia gasped. The discomfort in her stomach forgotten for the moment, she gently massaged Olivia's breast and sighed when the action tore a moan from Olivia. "And you definitely shouldn't do _that_," Olivia husked out.

"Oh. What about this?" Natalia asked, catching a clothed nipple between her teeth. She could feel Olivia jump against her and she suddenly felt a little guilty for starting something that she quite possibly couldn't finish at this point of time. "Sorry," she said, resting her cheek on Olivia's chest. The sound of Olivia's accelerated heartbeat brought another smile to her face.

"You are a bad, bad woman, Natalia Rivera," Olivia said after her breathing evened out.

"I must have learnt that from your seduction manual," Natalia said, then giggled at the chagrined look on Olivia's face.

"Oh, you think you're something, don't ya?" Olivia said to her. "I'm just off my game because you're not feeling well. Just wait till you're better."

"I'm shaking so hard my teeth might fall out," Natalia teased, then giggled again when Olivia growled. "Aw, poor baby," she said, stroking Olivia's cheek. "You're not used to losing, are you?"

Green eyes narrowed dangerously. "Olivia Spencer _never_ loses."

Natalia wasn't sure what it was, but that particular string of words, said in that particular manner, with that particular tone of voice, made her fall just that little bit more for the woman by her side. She kissed Olivia's neck and breathed her scent in. Then she settled back to watch the movie.

The movie script was quirky and unpredictable, and Natalia found that she rather enjoyed it. Halfway through the film, she asked, "How do you... know... that early on... what someone means to you?"

Olivia shrugged, her gaze fixed on the television screen. "Connection? I have to say, it's a little stalkerish, the way he showed up at her work."

Natalia nodded, then shrugged too. "I guess it's not stalkerish if both parties feel the same."

Olivia frowned. "She didn't, though. Not really."

"But she let him stay at her place. I mean, if she thought he was a stalker, she wouldn't have taken him home, right?" Natalia raised her face and saw Olivia gazing intently at her. "What?"

"I wanna be with you. Like this. Talking about anything and everything... or nothing at all," Olivia said, her tone and look serious. It made Natalia's heart flip. "Holding your hand, touching your hair, kissing you..." Natalia's eyes fell shut briefly when Olivia brushed an errant lock of hair from her face. "... with the exclusion of everyone else."

"Okay..." Natalia said slowly, drawing out the word. A relationship had probably been the last thing on her mind back when she was planning to leave Chicago to start a new life. But she couldn't deny the way she felt about Olivia, the way she craved to be close to her all the time. She felt like Olivia was waiting for her to say something but she wasn't sure what was appropriate. "I think I'd like that," she said at last.

They fell silent after that and returned their attention to the movie, but Natalia noticed that Olivia was smiling and couldn't help but smile along.


	5. Chapters 20 to 24

**Warnings and Disclaimers**: This AU story contains adult themes and language, and deals with the sex industry, which might not be to everyone's taste, so please do NOT proceed if you are not of age or if any of that might offend you. It is rated **NC-17**.

All characters from Guiding Light do not belong to me. All the other characters do, however, so please leave them alone. This story is set in an alternate universe, where Natalia Rivera's history and timeline are greatly altered. Most of Olivia Spencer's history remain intact at this point.

I've decided not to worry too much about pre-Otalia plotline discrepancy as this is an AU after all.

**Devil Ride**

by

xenalvr

**20**

It had been a hectic morning. Greg had double booked the main ballroom and Olivia had had to speak to the parties involved to see if there was anything they could do about the situation; there was a mix-up with their flower order and a thousand vases of red roses were sent to the Beacon instead of the hundred that they had ordered-her hotel lobby had looked like the Red Queen's garden until a minute ago; and the new chef that she had hired had decided that it was a good idea to come in to work completely off his face. It should have been the shittiest morning in Beacon history except that Olivia was kind of walking on clouds at the moment, so nothing had gotten to her.

Olivia chuckled at the memory of Greg's incredulous expression when she, instead of blowing a gasket like she normally would, had picked out a slender rose the colour of blood from one of the vases and put it to her nose.

After spending a night at the Beacon with Olivia, Natalia had gone back to her room at the boarding house the night before, not entirely well but well enough to return to work. Olivia glanced at her watch for the umpteenth time that day, willing the hour hand to speed up its trek around the watch face. Natalia's shift ended at seven and they had made plans to see each other. Olivia's stomach fluttered in anticipation. She didn't even care what they did, just as long as she got to do it with Natalia. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt this way about anyone.

It was all kinds of amazing and scary as hell.

A knock sounded on Olivia's door, causing her to look up. She quickly scanned her schedule book as she called for the visitor to enter. "Robert," she greeted cordially when a man entered her office. She stretched her hand out for a handshake.

"Ms. Spencer."

"Have a seat," Olivia said, sitting back down and indicating for him to follow suit. "How are you?"

"Good. Busy. You know how it is," Robert replied with a wry smile. He was in his late forties and had been with the police force for over ten years before setting up his own investigating firm.

Olivia nodded politely and clasped her hands together in front of her. She rather liked this private investigator that she had hired to keep an eye on Alan Spaulding. He was unassuming, highly efficient, and to the point. "What do you have for me today?"

"Well, Alan Spaulding is currently in San Cristobel. You no longer have a tail. He's focussing his attention on someone else... I think you know a Harley Cooper?" he asked, reading off his report. "She's married to his son, Gus Aitoro, and they're raising three boys together, all from previous relationships."

Olivia frowned. "Yes." It seemed like Alan was still bent on causing mischief between Gus and Harley, for whatever reason. She wasn't sure she wanted to know more; it didn't seem like it was any of her business, except Gus was Raphael's father and Raphael was Natalia's son.

"I'm not sure if it's of any importance to you but everything that I could get my hands on is in my report. There are some pictures of Alan spiking Harley's drink at a dinner." Robert shrugged and shook his head as he closed the folder in his hands and slid it across her table to her. "He's one shady character."

Olivia blew out a breath and pinched the bridge of her nose. "You can say that again," she murmured under her breath. "Thanks for everything. You've been an excellent help, Robert." She flipped open her cheque book to write him his payment. His services didn't come cheap and, as much as she appreciated his help, she was glad that she no longer needed him.

Olivia sat back in her leather chair after Robert left, mulling over what the man had just told her. The good news was, it was probably safe for Emma to return to Springfield-time to go apartment hunting. As for Harley Cooper, well, she supposed she could give Gus a heads up on what Alan was doing.

She picked up the phone and dialled Gus's number.

Natalia hummed to herself as she wiped down a table top. Even though she was still not feeling a hundred percent, she was in an exceptionally good mood. It was probably the combination of having made plans to see Gus and Raphael the next day for dinner, and the anticipation of seeing Olivia when her shift ended.

_Olivia_.

Just the thought of her made Natalia smile. A part of her was amazed that Olivia had more or less expressed her desire to be with in a relationship with her and the rest of her was amazed that she herself hadn't hightailed the first chance she had gotten; this was foreign territory for her. In fact, nothing had gone as expected since the moment she had gotten into Olivia's car. She wasn't sure where all this was going to lead but for now, she didn't want to think so much; she just wanted to lose herself in what she felt, even if it was just for a little while.

"You missed a spot."

Natalia gasped at the voice beside her ear and her head swivelled quickly. "Olivia! You scared me!" she admonished Olivia even as a smile crept up her face. Olivia looked really good with her slightly dishevelled hairstyle and black lacy top, vest, pencil skirt and heels ensemble. "You look amazing," she said in a softer tone, caressing Olivia with her appreciative gaze.

"Oh. Thanks."

Olivia's evident self-consciousness made Natalia smile. She was very aware of their proximity in a public place. "And I'm very happy to see you." Natalia's smile widened at the slight blush her words elicited. She swore she could feel static between their bodies; in any event, her skin was buzzing from Olivia's nearness and it was making her jumpy.

"Shall I wait for you outside?"

Olivia's nervousness emboldened Natalia. She reached into her back pocket for her key and offered it to Olivia in the flat of her palm. "Would you... like to wait for me in my room?" The sultry arched brow look that Olivia bestowed her sent her heart racing. The realisation of how much she was into this woman hit her. "I... need to change out of my work clothes," she amended hastily.

"Do I get to watch?"

Olivia's voice was low and husky, and it sent a shock of desire through Natalia. "Um..." She felt off-kilter; the sudden shift of power left her breathless. "If you want," she said in a whisper.

"Then yes," Olivia said, reaching for the key.

Natalia let out a shaky breath as she relinquished her key. Olivia's lingering touch made her swallow. Hard. She watched Olivia walk away from her and had to remind herself that she was still at work. That, however, did not stop her from blatantly checking out Olivia's retreating back; it made her sigh happily.

She had to stop herself from running up the stairs to her room. Crossing the remaining steps between the stairwell and her room door in a few strides, Natalia stood there, wondering if it was silly to knock. "Olivia?" she called out instead as she opened the door.

Olivia Spencer had the ability to command space, Natalia idly noted. Everything else shrunk around her. She drank in the sight of Olivia's eyes, nose, sexily curved lips and hand on hip stance, and her stomach flipped nervously. It seemed silly to feel this way about a person whom she had already gotten to know in the biblical sense of things but there was no two ways about it.

"Welcome home."

The purring of those words sent her blood rushing to all sorts of places. She closed the door behind her softly and leaned against it. "Hi," she said shyly.

"Is it stalkerish to say that I've missed you?" Olivia asked softly.

Natalia inhaled shakily. "You've been on my mind."

"This is dangerous."

Natalia pushed herself from the door and approached Olivia, who was tracking her movement with her eyes. She welcomed the heady sensation that Olivia's mere look was giving her, coming to a halt when she was close enough to feel Olivia's body heat. "What is?" She breathed in Olivia's familiar scent and allowed her eyes to flutter shut briefly.

"This."

The word fell from Olivia's lips in a hoarse whisper. Natalia opened her eyes and smiled. She brought a hand up to touch Olivia's hair softly, then trailed the back of her fingers down Olivia's cheek. Olivia's heels made her a few inches taller than she normally was; Natalia decided that she liked the additional height difference. She brought her other hand up and touched the fingertips of both hands to Olivia's neck, smiling when she felt Olivia shudder. Then she slowly and gently edged Olivia's vest off her shoulders, watching with satisfaction as it fell to the floor in a heap.

"What do you mean?" she asked innocently. She could see the slight heaving of Olivia's chest and it made her own breath catch. She let her fingertips trail down Olivia's arms, only stopping to tangle their fingers together loosely.

Olivia smirked. "I see someone's feeling better." Natalia held her breath when Olivia lowered her face. "I was promised a strip show, if I remember correctly," Olivia murmured, her lips a breath away from Natalia's.

At that, Natalia smiled and took a step back from Olivia, letting go of her fingers. She let her gaze linger before turning from Olivia and slowly eased the Company T-shirt up her body and over her head. She took her time to turn back to Olivia and was pleased to see heavy lidded eyes focussed on her. She let the T-shirt fall to the floor and combed her fingers through her dark, wavy locks, exposing her neck.

Strip dancing had been her job for many years and she was relieved when the motions came to her naturally because she didn't think she could proceed otherwise. She trailed her hands down her body and smoothed the waistband of her jeans. Then she turned away from Olivia again and unbuttoned her jeans, pulling the flap open to allow the waistband of her underwear to peek out when she faced Olivia again. She kicked her shoes off.

The reality of a few seconds stretched out in Natalia's mind as she pushed her jeans over the gentle swell of her hips. When her waistband reached her knees, Natalia stepped out of it one leg at a time with excruciating slowness, surreptitiously pulling her socks off while she was at it. The idea of it all was to make the act of slow undressing look graceful and fluid when it really wasn't. She met Olivia's eyes with her own and the desire she saw in them almost made her stumble.

"Where are we going?" she asked, trying not to sound as breathless as she felt.

Olivia took a long moment before she responded. "Huh?"

Natalia hid a grin. "I'm out of my work clothes now. You have to tell me where we're going so I can pick out a suitable outfit." She let her hands rest on her hips as she waited for Olivia to process her request.

"I... are you hungry?" Olivia asked, blinking several times.

Natalia chewed on her lower lip as she deliberated. Then she closed the distance between them and said softly, "You look like you might be."

"Natalia..." Olivia responded in low, velvety voice and her eyes narrowed.

"Hm?" Natalia let her gaze wander Olivia's face and gasped when Olivia abruptly crushed their lips together in a devouring kiss that sent a shock of desire to her centre. She belatedly wrapped her arms around Olivia's shoulders and whimpered when she felt Olivia's hand on her breast, teasing her nipple to erection through the fabric of her bra. She lolled her head to one side when Olivia broke the rough kiss to sink her teeth into the crook of her neck. It tore a low moan from her. Olivia's hands were everywhere, scratching, cupping, kneading, driving her to the edge of insanity.

Her eyes shot open in surprise to meet Olivia's hooded gaze when she suddenly felt fingers sliding against her slick length. Her hips bucked reflexively against Olivia's hand and she let out a whimper; her body felt like it was on fire as they moved against each other with parted lips and ragged breaths.

She hadn't expected things to get this far this fast but here she was, standing in the middle of her room with most of her weight supported by Olivia's arm around her waist, about to come apart. She tried to keep her eyes open but it was so hard when Olivia was drawing circles on her most intimate spot with her fingers. Her pleasure grew, teased by the steadiness of Olivia's ministrations.

"Olivia..." she managed to husk out finally, gratified when she was answered with a questioning look. "You feel _so_ fucking good..." The smug, knowing smile on Olivia's face took her over the edge and she crumpled in Olivia's arms, her face buried in the crook of Olivia's neck.

**21**

Losing control wasn't something Olivia was used to. In all her past relationships, she had led the seductions and set the boundaries; with Natalia, she felt like a stray bullet, overwhelmed by lust, affection and desire. In all her past relationships, she had had to act, scheme, and strategise in order to be seen; with Natalia, she felt that she was appreciated just by being herself. It was... different. Odd. Unsettling.

A warm kiss on Olivia's neck scattered her thoughts. Her eyes fell shut when the kiss turned into gentle nibbling. Then she whimpered when sharp teeth and a wet tongue found and tended to a sensitive spot on her neck. "Natalia..." she murmured, sliding her palms up and down a smooth back.

She allowed herself to be maneuvered backwards and finally sat down on Natalia's bed. Her eyes fluttered open, then widened when she saw Natalia's hands disappear under her skirt. A rush of wetness shot through her body when she realised what Natalia was doing. She raised herself from the bed slightly to aid Natalia in divesting herself of her underwear.

Her skirt was pushed up with infinite slowness; her eyes hooded again and her breathing grew ragged. By the time she felt Natalia's warm breath on her inner thigh, she was shuddering with anticipation.

"Please..."

The word fell helplessly from Olivia's lips. Before she had time to feel appalled by the expression of the intense need that had built up within her, she felt Natalia's tongue on her and she gasped, letting her eyes fall shut and head fall back.

The sensation of Natalia's tongue along her length and on her intimate spot was intoxicating. Her hands clutched at the sheets as she shamelessly tried to push more of herself against Natalia, relishing in the painful, wonderful ache that spread from her centre to the rest of her body. She could hear herself crying out as she rolled her hips and it somehow added to her desire.

The feel of Natalia's hands gripping her thighs caused her to widen her legs a little more. She let out a breathless moan when she felt Natalia drag her nails down her inner thighs. Her body arched like a strung bow, ready to explode. But much to her frustration, every time she thought she could let go, Natalia would make her hold on; every time she was about to topple over the edge, Natalia would slow her tongue's movement, then tease her to a greater height of pleasure.

She thought her heart might hammer out of her chest...

She thought her body might go up in flames...

She thought she might go crazy with want...

... but when she finally came apart against Natalia, held suspended in a swimming darkness, she trusted that Natalia wouldn't let her drown.

"I'm viewing a few apartments tomorrow. I want to surprise Emma with a place of our own when she returns... or at least narrow the choices down," Olivia said, peering at Natalia over the rim of her mug.

They were sharing a warm slice of apple pie whilst cradling individual mugs of hot chocolate at a diner. It was one of the few places that was still open by the time they had left Natalia's room and Natalia was glad that they stumbled upon it; the apple pie was delicious and the hot chocolate was made just the way she liked it. That it was affordable was a bonus.

"That sounds exciting," Natalia said with a small smile. "I'm looking forward to meeting her."

Olivia had regaled her with tales of her gregarious seven-year-old's misadventures while they strolled aimlessly down the streets of Springfield, enjoying each other's company despite the cold. By the time they were seated in the diner, Natalia felt that she already knew the girl. It wasn't hard to see where Emma got her strong-headed personality from, not when her mother was Olivia Spencer.

"I'm meeting Gus and Raphael tomorrow, after he finishes school," Natalia said, suddenly feeling a little stressed at the thought. "I'm really nervous," she confessed.

"It'll be fine," Olivia said reassuringly. "He's a great kid. And from what you and Gus have said, he seems to like you already. That's half the battle won."

"Yes, but..." Natalia trailed off, pushing her hair behind one ear, as was her habit. "He doesn't know who I am to him. What if he... hates me after we tell him?"

Olivia shook her head. "It might be a fair concern to you, but from an outsider's more objective point of view, it's highly impossible. I think Rafe is smart enough to understand that you had been lied to. You've never _not_ wanted him."

Natalia inhaled deeply and nodded. It was true. She'd be lying if she said that she didn't consider abortion as an option, but once she had made up her mind to have Raphael, she had never once regretted her decision. "Thank you," she said finally, meeting her eyes to Olivia's warm green ones. "It's... easy to talk to you."

Olivia snorted. "Can't say that anyone's ever said _that_ about me."

There were so many facets to Olivia. Her self-deprecating comment clued Natalia that not many people had gotten to see Olivia in this light. She realised that there were so many things she didn't know about Olivia... and vice versa. It spun her out that they were just getting to know each other because she felt so comfortable around Olivia-that is, when her body wasn't busy responding to Olivia's proximity.

"It's their loss," Natalia said with a shrug. She tilted her head to one side at Olivia's skeptical look. "Or maybe I should say, lucky me."

"You think?" Olivia asked laughingly with a raised brow.

Natalia smiled and looked down at her beverage before looking back up at Olivia. "I _know_."

They drank their hot chocolate in silence after that, and occasionally smiled at each other when their eyes met. At one point, Natalia reached a hand up to tuck her hair behind her ear, but had it intercepted by Olivia's hand. She leaned into Olivia's touch and placed her own hand on the table between them, smiling faintly when Olivia lowered her own hand to cover it. Natalia turned her palm up, and bit her lower lip unconsciously when Olivia gently stroked the heart of it with her fingertips.

"Olivia. Natalia."

Both their heads swivelled around at the sound of their names. "Gus," Olivia greeted with a faint smile. She rested her hand on the table beside Natalia's. "You're out late."

"Yeah, well, I needed to take a breather," Gus said dismissively, kneading the back of his neck with a hand. "What are you guys up to? I'm surprised to see you here. It's mostly a police hang out."

"Oh, is _that_ why they serve such good pie?" Olivia asked sardonically. Natalia smirked at that.

Gus gave Olivia a crooked smile, then included Natalia with a wink. "Perks of the job." He combed a hand through his dark, mussed up hair. "Well, I better get going. Still have a stack of paperwork to finish before I can call it a night. I'll see you tomorrow at five then, Natalia?" he said, pointing a finger at her.

Natalia nodded. "I'll be there." She gave Olivia a look, then turned back to Gus. "I'm looking forward to it."

"So are we," Gus said with a smile. "Have a good night, ladies." He nodded at them, then sauntered towards the counter to grab his takeaway cup of coffee and a brown paper bag before exiting the diner.

Natalia watched him go, then turned to Olivia with a smile. "He turned out well. He used to be quite... gawky," she said, wrinkling her nose slightly. Then she snorted at the amused look on Olivia's face. "What?"

"What about you? How were you like?"

Natalia averted her eyes as she thought. "Commonplace," she said finally, raising her eyes to Olivia's face. "And you?"

Olivia shrugged. "Ambitious." She smiled humourlessly. "I had to grow up really fast."

Natalia breathed out through her nose. "I know all about _that_," she said, her mind drifting. Olivia surprised her with her hand back on hers and she gave herself a mental shake before smiling. "We could write a book together... one of those 'How To' books... teaching teenagers how to turn into adults overnight."

"It'll be an underground bestseller. Parents would hate us and teenagers would secretly adore us," Olivia said with a quirk of her lips. "No one would admit to buying it. Kinda like Celine Dion's CDs."

Natalia chuckled, shaking her head slightly. "_What_?"

"You know," Olivia murmured, eyes glinting mischievously, "No one would admit to buying Celine Dion's CDs but she's quite obviously one of the more successful music artistes back in the day."

Natalia snorted. "You're silly," she said, smiling indulgently across the table.

"What? Some say I'm a wealth of information," Olivia said, pretending to look affronted.

Natalia shot Olivia a skeptical look, a smile still playing on her lips. "Subjective."

Olivia chuckled at that. "You must have been one of those annoying teenagers who smart mouth people all the time. And manage to get away just by flashing your pretty dimpled smile."

"Aw... you think my smile's pretty," Natalia said, resting her chin on her palm as she flashed Olivia one of those dimpled smiles. "Flattery gets you _everywhere_ with me," she informed Olivia.

"Is _that_ right?" Olivia asked in an intentionally lowered voice, accompanied by an elegant raise of brow. Natalia's stomach fluttered, then jumped slightly when she felt Olivia's leg rub against hers suggestively. "I think you're _magnificent_. Just gorgeous. Funny. Smart. _Sexy_..."

Natalia shook her head but couldn't wipe the smile off her face.

**22**

The outdoor patio of the restaurant that Gus and Natalia had arranged to meet at was framed with gold and amber shrubbery. The patrons were kept warm by strategically placed patio heaters, affording them the freedom to be outdoors without being too cold. Natalia was seated under one such heater, her stomach churning with a mixture of dread, anticipation and nerves.

She had arrived an hour early. Quite honestly, she wasn't good for anything the entire day. She couldn't even concentrate long enough to read a news article. Natalia sighed loudly, then felt someone staring at her. She looked around her, spotted the person who was staring, and flinched inwardly. It was one of her old regulars, one who had been convinced that he was in love with her. She glanced away in what she hoped was a nonchalant fashion, in the hopes that he wouldn't come over.

No such luck.

"Jessica?"

Natalia didn't acknowledge the man, whose name she had long since forgotten, choosing to fix her eyes on a random spot in the distance as she sipped her tea. Her cool outward demeanour belied her tumultuous insides. After a time, she forced herself to raise her eyes slowly when he didn't move away, and slid on a confused expression. "I'm sorry?"

"Jessica, right?"

The man didn't sound so sure now, and Natalia shook her head. Her hair had grown out and she didn't have much make up on. She was bundled up in a woollen sweater, a pair of worn jeans over her thermals, and Ugg boots; in her mind's eye, she looked nothing like she did when he had met her.

"Sorry, I must have gotten the wrong person..." the man trailed off. Natalia shrugged and picked up her cup of tea again, in a bid to hide her face behind it. When he finally moved back to his seat, she reached for her cell and dialled Olivia's number.

"Hey," she murmured softly into her cell when her call was answered, unconsciously shifting her body to block the man out from her peripheral vision. "I know it's silly but... I just wanted to hear your voice..."

"Natalia!"

At the sound of her name, Natalia glanced up to see Gus and Raphael approaching her table. She quickly ended her call to Olivia and stood up. "Hey," she greeted the duo with a smile. Her eyes quickly darted to where the man had been seating and was relieved to find his seat unoccupied. "Hello, Raphael," she said, lowering her gaze to the boy.

"Hey," Raphael said as he slid onto a chair. He looked at Natalia expectantly. Natalia drank in the sight of her son: mussed up black hair not unlike his father's, large, dark eyes, thick brows, and braces. When he took his jacket off, she could see oddly shaped coloured bands on his wrist.

"How was your day at school?" Natalia asked with interest.

Raphael shrugged. "I'm hungry," he announced. "Sean ate my apple today," he said, as though it explained everything.

"Hold your horses, Rafe," Gus said. "How're you feeling, Natalia?" he asked, looking at Natalia. "I forgot to ask when I saw you and Olivia last night."

"Oh, much better, thanks." Natalia returned her attention to Raphael, who was plucking at a coloured band on his wrist. "What are those?" she asked.

"Silly Bands!" Raphael said, pulling out a few of the coloured bands to show an amused Natalia. "See, they turn into different shapes," he said, laying them out on the table between them. "This one's... a dog. That's a dragon."

"What's this one?" Natalia asked, pointing at one.

"I think... it's Hagrid, from Harry Potter," Raphael said after a while. He nodded. "Yup, it's Hagrid. Do you want it?"

Natalia smirked, charmed. "Are you sure?" She had no idea who Hagrid was, but she wasn't about to say so. Perhaps she could rent all the Harry Potter DVDs and watch them on her next days off.

"Yeah!" Raphael pulled off a few more Silly Bands and pushed them to Natalia. "Here, you can have a few more if you want."

"Um, okay..." Natalia put on the bands that Raphael pushed her way, her smile deepening. "That's enough. Save some for yourself."

"Oh, don't you worry about him," Gus said, shaking his head. "He's got tons of those bands. And Rafe knows that if he shares..." He left his sentence hanging and looked over at Raphael.

"... Dad'll get me more," Raphael finished his father's sentence. "There're many less fortunate kids than us," he said, looking at Natalia, who presumed that 'us' meant his brothers and himself. "And we should share what we have."

Pride engulfed Natalia and she bit her lower lip in the effort to contain herself. She was never one to burst into tears at every little thing but for some reason, Raphael brought out that side of her. "Thank you, Rafe. That's really sweet of you." She slid the bands on and fiddled with them.

After their orders were taken, Gus cleared his throat. "Rafe, Natalia and I have something to tell you. You know how you've asked about your birth mom?" Raphael looked at Gus intently. "Well..." Gus hesitated and Natalia held her breath. "_Natalia_'s your birth mom."

Natalia watched Raphael's face nervously, waiting for a reaction. He seemed to be processing the information. Just when she thought she couldn't possibly wait any longer, Raphael said, "You're really pretty."

Natalia almost cried in relief.

"I'm so glad it went well, Natalia," Olivia said warmly.

They hadn't planned to see each other this evening but after their brief phone conversation, Olivia couldn't help volunteering to pick Natalia up after her dinner with Gus and Raphael if they didn't decide to do anything else after.

"It was the hardest when he asked why my parents lied to me about his birth," Natalia said ruefully. Olivia was surprised that Natalia had decided to Raphael the truth about the reason why he had been sent to Gus. "I want to keep hidden truths down to a minimum," Natalia explained, as though reading Olivia's mind. "It's bad enough not being able to tell him about... my life after... you know."

Olivia nodded and reached for Natalia's hand, feeling a slight thrill when Natalia allowed her to thread their fingers together in a manner that was fast becoming familiar. She could not remember ever having this constant need to touch someone.

"He asked why Gus and I didn't stay together." Natalia smirked, shaking her head. "Then took our reasoning in stride. He's amazing."

"He seems really bright and mature for a ten-year-old," Olivia said, stroking Natalia's hand with her thumb. "Load off your chest?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.

"Yes," Natalia responded with a smile. "Thanks for offering to come get me, Olivia."

Olivia blushed slightly when Natalia leaned closer to kiss her cheek. Then she turned her face and caught Natalia's lips with her own, sliding them against each other, teasing Natalia with the lightness of her kiss. It made her sigh softly. "I like me when I'm around you," she said finally when their kiss broke.

The way Natalia studied her made Olivia feel a little self-conscious, and she wondered if she had revealed too much. It wasn't like her to just blurt out something like that. She cleared her throat and made to say something to cover up her seeming _faux pas_, but Natalia spoke up before she did so.

"You have come to mean a lot to me in a really short time, Olivia Spencer."

_Likewise_. Olivia knew she didn't have to say her thought out loud. "Wanna grab a coffee?" she asked instead, reluctant to end their time together. "Latte?" she suggested shyly.

When Natalia shook her head, Olivia's heart fell a little. But she perked up again when Natalia said, "I can't have coffee this late at night. But we can go have something else..."

"Something else it is, then," Olivia said, flashing Natalia a winning smile. "Buckle up." She started her ignition and pulled out of the parking lot, trying to decide where to go, then realised that it didn't matter. Not when she was with Natalia.

They ended up at Towers with a bottle of wine to share between them. Natalia had balked at the price of the wine but Olivia had waved the concern aside, stating that she would get the bill since she was the one who had suggested that they prolong their time together.

_"I don't want you to keep paying for me,"_ Natalia had stated quietly. _"You've already done so much for me."_

Natalia's words had made her think. Money was something that she had an abundance of-enough of, anyway, to live luxuriously. It had never crossed her mind that Natalia might be uncomfortable with her wealth. Once again, it reminded her of the difference between Natalia and the people she had been with in the past. With them, she was constantly trying to gain more power, increase her wealth, prove her worthiness.

_"How about you get our next date then?"_ Olivia had suggested after a moment's consideration. _"I'm an easy woman to please. The only requirement I have is for you to be there."_ The smile she had elicited from Natalia with her statement had warmed her. She had never thought herself to be a romantic person who whispered sweet nothings to her lovers, but Natalia... Natalia made all the difference with her. The realisation should have alarmed her but all she felt was a warm, fuzzy feeling some would term happiness.

"Have you watched the Harry Potter movies?"

Natalia's random question broke Olivia's reverie but she took it in stride. "Sure. Emma loves them but I think the later movies are a little too dark for her to watch."

"I want to watch them. Rafe gave me these earlier..." Natalia said, removing something from her wrist. Olivia smirked at the Silly Bands that Natalia dangled between her index finger and thumb. "This one's meant to be... someone from the series, but I have no idea who it is."

Natalia's pout made Olivia smirk. "Lessee," she said, taking the said band from Natalia and squinting at it as though it was an interesting science specimen. "I think... this looks like... Hagrid," she said finally, laughing at the delighted look on Natalia's face. "Emma owns all the DVDs-even the last one, which I have yet allowed her to watch. If you want, we could watch them together." She tilted her head at Natalia's assessing look. "What?"

"You seem to have everything that I need and want."

Olivia didn't know what to say to that. She picked up her glass of wine and put it to her smiling lips.

**23**

Company was bustling with lunchtime crowd. Natalia entered the kitchen with a stack of dirty plates, then exited with two meals in her hands. In her hurry, she almost ran into someone. Thankfully, what she was transporting remained intact. She called out an apology without sparing the person a glance, and made a beeline for the table the meals were meant for. Then she made for another table in her zone and pulled out her order pad and pen from the front pocket of her apron.

As she scribbled on the order pad, she felt an uneasy prickling at the back of her neck. She managed to finish what she was doing before glancing around surreptitiously for the source of her discomfort, then grimaced inwardly when she spied the man from the night before standing at the counter, talking to Blake.

_Surely_ not?

The coincidence was freaking her out, but she slid on a cool facade and walked over to Blake with the order.

"Hey," the man greeted her after Blake turned her back to them to pass the order on to the kitchen. "We met last night. I mistook you for someone else?" he prompted. Relatively well dressed, he had dark hair, a high forehead, a strong chin, and he towered over Natalia.

"Right," Natalia said with a polite smile. "Sorry, can't chat. It's a little crazy around here." She hurried away and scanned Company for anyone who looked like they might need some service, or for anything that needed her attention, all the while wishing for the man to disappear so that she wouldn't be trapped in another conversation with him.

Even though this wasn't the first time she had bumped into a client of hers, it was the first time she couldn't just decide to not patronise an establishment. She worked at Company; she wasn't about to quit her job over this. She racked her brains for the man's name, but it eluded her. Then she decided that she didn't care. This was her new life and she wasn't about to let something as trivial as this disrupt it.

When the lunchtime crowd petered out, Natalia began clearing up the tables. She noted with dismay that the man was still hanging around, chatting to Blake, and tried her best to ignore him and the discomfort his presence brought her.

"Natalia, come over here for a sec," Blake called out to her. When Natalia reluctantly dragged herself over to the counter, Blake flashed her a quick smile. "Natalia, this is Marina's fianc, Mallet."

"Pleasure to meet you, Natalia," Mallet said, gazing at her face intently with an odd smile playing on his lips.

Natalia shook the man's hand. The name didn't ring a bell, but she was hardly surprised at that. However... Marina's _fianc_? Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to start looking for another job.

Olivia stepped off the treadmill and took a long drink of water from her bottle. She had enough time for a quick shower before Gus showed up. Her cell rang, however, stopping her in her tracks. She answered the call briskly and frowned. "I'll be there in five," she said with a sigh. The shower would have to wait.

Gus was sitting in her office when she stepped in, still garbed in her gym attire. She noted his surprised but appreciative gaze and shrugged sheepishly. "Lunchtime's the only time I have for a workout," she explained. "Sorry," she said, looking down at herself.

"No, no. I should be the one apologising," Gus said hurriedly. "I have an urgent meeting to attend, so I thought I'd swing by a tad earlier to grab the photos."

Olivia nodded and went over to her desk. She pulled out a manila envelope from her drawer and handed it to Gus. It contained the photographs of Alan spiking Harley's drink. "All yours," she said, hovering behind her desk. She didn't want to drench her leather seat with her perspiration.

"Thanks for this, Olivia," Gus said sincerely. "It's been... a little strained at home."

Olivia lifted a brow. She didn't want to pry but she knew that Raphael had just found out about his relationship with Natalia and she wanted to know if it had anything to do with that. "Is it Raphael?" she asked tentatively.

Gus frowned, then shook his head. "No, no, nothing like that. It's Harley and I."

Olivia nodded politely but didn't encourage him to continue. The last thing she wanted was for Gus to confide his marital problems in her. "Well, I think I'm gonna jump in the shower now. I stink," she said lightly.

"Oh, wait, before I go... I went by the mansion this morning and did some snooping around while Alan's not around. He had sent someone to locate Natalia's parents. I don't think he's made contact yet but he knows where they are. I don't know what he's up to." Gus stood up and stuck the envelope in his jacket pocket. Then he pulled out a slip of paper with some scribbling on it and handed it over to Olivia. "This is their address."

"Shouldn't you be telling Natalia this?" Olivia asked curiously but she took the paper from him anyhow.

Gus shrugged. "I wasn't sure if she wanted to know anything concerning her parents. You know her better than I do. I'll leave it to you to tell her or not."

Olivia carefully put the slip of paper in her drawer after Gus left, her thoughts racing. There was nothing Alan could profit from making contact with Natalia's parents. He probably just wanted to have that information in the event that he needed it one day. She rather resented Gus for burdening her with this knowledge even though she knew that his intentions were good.

Olivia let out a loud breath and shook her head as she exited her office to grab a much needed shower. Trust her life to be wrought with twists and turns befitting a soap opera. There was truly no rest for the wicked.

**24**

Olivia pulled her car up outside Company and killed the ignition. She felt exhausted today, for some reason. It could have been the hour long workout that she had had in the afternoon after a period of hiatus, viewing a string of unsuitable apartments, or a combination of both. Natalia didn't sound all that chirpy on the phone either, and Olivia would have happily called it a day and stumbled into her bed at The Beacon if she had thought it appropriate to tell Natalia of Alan's poking around over the phone.

She didn't, however, so here she was, at a darkened Company, only slightly consoled by the anticipation of seeing Natalia.

Adrenalin pumped through her as she climbed the stairs that led to the landing of Natalia's room. She stifled a groan at the squeaking of her aching muscles and let out a breath when she reached Natalia's room. The door swung open a moment after she rapped on it to reveal a troubled looking Natalia who greeted her with reserve.

Natalia's immaculately neat room was dimly lit. Olivia sat on the edge of Natalia's bed and looked around. Even though this wasn't the first time she was in Natalia's room, she was really seeing it for the first time, without the roiling anticipation of Natalia's entrance, or the blinding sexual haze borne of Natalia's proximity. It was a stark revelation of just how little Natalia had.

Not for the first time, Olivia felt the impulse to take Natalia away from it all and give her all her heart's desire. But she instinctively knew that it would effectively push Natalia away from her. She herself would not be able to take charity of any form from anyone else, so she was careful to not give it.

"Alan hired someone to find your parents," Olivia said, shoving her thoughts aside and focussing her attention on the reason why she had come by. "According to Gus, he hasn't contacted them, but he knows where they are." She watched Natalia bite her lower lip and waited for her response. When it didn't come, she stood up from the bed and went over to where Natalia was standing by the door. "Is everything okay?" she asked tentatively.

"I don't know who I am anymore," Natalia said at last.

"Do you... want me to go?" Olivia asked, peering at Natalia. Evidently, it was the wrong thing to say because she could feel Natalia disengage from her. It confused her. "Or I could stay. Whatever you want, Natalia."

Just when Olivia thought silence was going to reign again, Natalia spoke up. "Why are you so good to me?"

It was that same question. Olivia frowned and wondered if there was truly an answer that would satisfy Natalia. "Because I want to be," she said finally. "Because... I see you."

"What is it exactly that you see?" Natalia asked, sounding unconvinced.

"I can't define you. I won't," Olivia said, unsure what it was that Natalia needed from her. "But to me, you're someone I smile when I think about... You're someone I want to spend time with... You're someone I look forward to seeing," she ventured, hoping that her answer was sufficient because she had nothing more than the truth to offer.

Silence stretched out between them. Olivia sighed in relief when Natalia finally dropped her forehead to rest against her chest. She reached up a hand to touch Natalia's hair. "What's wrong, baby?" She wondered what had happened.

Instead of answering her, Natalia murmured, "Do you sometimes feel like nothing you do is ever gonna be good enough? That the world is such an unforgiving place? And fear... that anything good you find would eventually be taken away from you, so much so that... you'd rather not have it in the first place?"

"More than you ever know."

Olivia was surprised when Natalia kissed her, but she reciprocated the kiss softly, then with more pressure. She slanted her lips, moaning when Natalia's tongue entered her mouth, then whimpered when Natalia's hands disappeared under her top to trace the contour of her torso. Her own hands began moving of their own accord to undress Natalia. She breathed raggedly when Natalia tore their lips apart. Her slightly unfocussed eyes met Natalia's.

"You're one of the two good things in my life, Olivia."

Olivia's heart skipped a beat at Natalia's words.

"And it scares the hell outta me."

Olivia cradled Natalia's face and touched their lips together, her previous ardour forgotten. "I'm scared too," she admitted, resting her forehead against Natalia's. "But that's how I know this is real."

Natalia took a breath and closed her eyes briefly. "One of my old regulars is here, in Springfield. I pretended that he'd gotten me mixed up with someone else but I think he knows it's me. It feels awful knowing that I can never truly put my past behind me."

"Then embrace it."

Olivia wasn't sure why she uttered those words but she knew the truth of them when they fell from her lips. She met Natalia's questioning gaze with a smile. "So you were a sex worker. Hello, I'm Olivia, ex-whore of Babylon. That doesn't mean that anyone can trample all over me. That doesn't give anyone any power over you. So you had a past. It was sordid. If you want, I can tell you things about the people you've met in Springfield... things that would give your past a run for its money."

Olivia paused and took a moment to push an errant lock of hair behind Natalia's ear. She could see the wheels turning in Natalia's head. Her voice was quiet when she continued. "If you don't stop seeing yourself as who you were, no one else will be able to look past it. You are the only person who matters. The rest of the world can go fuck themselves."

She wasn't sure if this was the right way to get her point across to Natalia but the words came easily. She was gratified when Natalia finally smiled.

"Ex-whore of Babylon, huh."

Olivia smirked. "And proud of it."

"You've gone monogamous?" Natalia asked, dispersing the tension in the room with her light comment.

Olivia narrowed her eyes playfully, relieved that the mini crisis was over. "More like I finally met someone who's worth my time."

She breathed in deeply when Natalia wrapped her arms around her tightly and buried her face in the crook of her neck.

Olivia tried to shield her eyes from the daylight streaming into the room with an arm but, failing that, cracked them open and wondered for a moment where she was.

Natalia's.

Olivia looked around blearily to find herself alone in the room. She yawned loudly and turned over onto her stomach. Then she burrowed headfirst under a pillow and pulled a bunched up quilt over herself in the attempt to stay warm. She briefly wondered if she could persuade Natalia to let her get her a new quilt. This old thing that probably came with the boarding house would be no defense against the winter chill. Perhaps she could say that the Beacon was getting rid of old beddings...

The sound of the door opening interrupted Olivia's scheming. She thought she heard a soft chuckle, but couldn't be sure. Then she felt the bed dip and her lips curved up when she felt Natalia slide in under the quilt, circle her with her arms, and press a warm kiss on her nape. She sighed contentedly.

"Morning."

Instead of answering verbally, Olivia shifted slightly so that she could stroke Natalia's arm with her fingers. She liked being in this state of consciousness between waking and sleeping and wanted to stay in it a little longer. The lingering kisses on the back of her neck weren't helping her cause, but she wasn't complaining. After all, what was life without challenges?

Natalia's arms shifted slowly. Olivia sucked in a breath when she felt inquisitive fingers sliding under the T-shirt she had loaned from Natalia the night before to sleep in. She reached a hand behind her to pull Natalia's pelvis more snugly against herself, and hummed when she heard a soft exhalation of breath against her neck. It was starting to feel a little stifling under the pillow, so Olivia pulled her head out from under it and turned her face towards Natalia. It was right about then that she felt Natalia's hands rubbing teasingly against her nipples; her surprised moan was swallowed by Natalia's mouth on hers.

This had to be the best way to wake up. Actually, she might consider making it a prerequisite: no nookie, no wakeful Olivia. It sounded appealing. Natalia wouldn't even need a new quilt. She was warming up really nicely under this old thing.

"Olivia..."

The sound of her name falling huskily from Natalia's lips was doing crazy things to her stomach. Olivia felt Natalia hook a leg over her and shifted onto her back. Natalia's weight felt good on her. She whimpered when she felt Natalia's mouth on her breast, teasing her nipple to erection. She fumbled for the quilt and pulled it up over Natalia's head and her own, trying to keep out as much chilled air as possible. Heat and moisture gathered between her legs. She arched her body up when she felt Natalia scrape her teeth down her tummy, then allowed Natalia to pull her underwear off of her. Then she gasped and her head slammed back when Natalia straightened herself and entered her in one fluid motion.

"Oh, God..." she rasped as she rolled her hips to accommodate more of Natalia's fingers. The feeling of fullness felt so good. Her eyes shot open at the growing roughness of Natalia's penetration. She tangled her fingers in Natalia's long, wavy tresses, and looked into dark hooded eyes. "Fuck me," she whispered hoarsely. "Hard..."

The feral smile on Natalia's lips turned her on even more. She reached for the back of Natalia's forearm to push more of Natalia into herself as her hips bucked off the bed urgently.

Olivia cried out when she felt a pressure circling her centre. She clumsily pushed herself up into a sitting position; her movement caused the pressure on her centre to shift, delaying her climax, increasing her need. Chilled air hit her fevered skin, making her shiver, but cold was the last thing on her mind. Then Natalia was sitting up too and she felt herself being pulled forward and onto Natalia's lap.

The pressure on her centre returned and it was driving her insane. The heat in her lower abdomen increased. Sharp teeth scraped against her nipples through the fabric of Natalia's T-shirt, making her arch and claw her fingers down Natalia's back. The guttural moan it tore from Natalia brought her to the edge again.

Her breath caught. Her heart stopped for a nanosecond. She squeezed her eyes shut as she shuddered against Natalia; pleasure suffused her and tension drained from her. The world was quiet, safe for twin sets of ragged breathing and the sound of her pounding heart in her head.

"You know I'm never waking up any other way again, right?" Olivia whispered when she finally caught her breath. Her centre was still throbbing in the most pleasurable way. She could feel laughter vibrate through Natalia's body and she pulled her face back, smiling when Natalia pushed her hair out of her eyes.

"Oh if wishes were horses..." Natalia murmured, smiling indulgently at her.

Olivia hummed when Natalia placed another kiss on her shoulder. Then she slid off Natalia's lap and pulled a surprised Natalia atop her. She smiled wickedly. "_Your _turn to ride."


	6. Chapters 25 to 30

**Warnings and Disclaimers**: This AU story contains adult themes and language, and deals with the sex industry, which might not be to everyone's taste, so please do NOT proceed if you are not of age or if any of that might offend you. It is rated **NC-17**.

All characters from Guiding Light do not belong to me. All the other characters do, however, so please leave them alone. This story is set in an alternate universe, where Natalia Rivera's history and timeline are greatly altered. Most of Olivia Spencer's history remain intact at this point.

I've decided not to worry too much about pre-Otalia plotline discrepancy as this is an AU after all.

**Devil Ride**

by

xenalvr

**25**

Natalia didn't think that she was one for relationships. Gus and she had held hands, made googly eyes at each other, and slept together, but she wouldn't consider what they had a relationship. With Maria, she had shared almost everything and, under those circumstances, given all that she could, but that had worked out rather badly. She didn't think that anyone else could understand or accept her like Maria did, but she had been wrong. Maria might have lived a similar life to hers, but Olivia... Olivia was the one who not only got her but challenged her, and instinctively knew how to balance her.

Natalia smiled faintly at the memory of Olivia stating that she was afraid of what she felt between them too. That it was not one-sided made all the difference.

In the short time that they had been together, Olivia had taught her that there was a time for passion and a time for tenderness; a time to lean on and a time to give support; a time to be a lover and a time to be a friend; that it was all right to feel afraid and vulnerable; that your past might have made you who you were but shouldn't define who you wanted to be, or what you wanted in life.

She wanted this. For the first time in a long time, she knew to want something bad enough to want to fight for it. She wanted to be with Olivia. She wanted to be a part of Raphael's life. She wanted to get to know Emma. And she wanted to stop feeling like she had to hide her past, even if it wasn't something she was proud of.

"I have to go, Natalia."

Natalia looked up from the swirling black of her coffee and smiled at Olivia, who had just returned from the bathroom. "Okay."

"I'll... talk to you later?" Olivia asked, tilting her face slightly.

The slant of Olivia's eyes, the fall of her hair, the curve of her full lips... they all made Natalia sigh inwardly. "Okay," she said again. "Have fun at work."

Natalia's stomach flipped pleasantly when Olivia brushed her arm lightly as she walked past her. She couldn't help staring after what had to be the sexiest looking backview, and let out a shaky breath when Olivia turned back briefly with a knowing smirk on her lips and a small wave of her hand.

"I wasn't aware that you're friends with Olivia."

Natalia's head snapped up. "Oh. Yeah." She flashed Blake a half-smile and returned her attention to her coffee. She had a few hours before her shift started and she didn't exactly want to spend it on someone whom she saw regularly at work.

"She's not the nicest person around..." Blake said in a manner that caused Natalia to bristle.

"I wouldn't describe her as 'nice' either," Natalia said scathingly before Blake could launch into what she could only presume to be a string of gossip about _her_ Olivia. "She's warm, funny... capable, intelligent... Definitely not just '_nice_'," she said, spitting out the last word like it was an offensive term.

The look of surprise on Blake's face made Natalia roll her eyes discreetly.

"Well then. I'm glad Olivia's found a friend in you," Blake said in a reconciliatory tone. "More coffee?"

Natalia shook her head and pasted a smile on her face. "No thanks, Blake. I'll see you in a few hours."

She pushed herself up from her seat and took Olivia's and her cup into the kitchen. When she reemerged, her stomach roiled unpleasantly at the sight of Mallet. Reminding herself of what she had been thinking about not too long ago, Natalia straightened her back perceptibly and strolled out of Company.

"Natalia!"

Natalia bit her lower lip at the shout of her name and turned to Mallet, who had jogged a few steps to catch up with her just outside Company.

"You're not working today?" he asked conversationally.

Natalia grimaced inwardly at the way his eyes swept down her body and wrapped her arms around her body in a defensive stance. He wasn't a bad looking guy but he definitely gave her the creeps. "I am. Later."

Mallet nodded and combed a hand through his dark, cropped hair. "Fancy a cup of coffee?"

Natalia shook her head. "Just had one. I've got a few things to do, so..." she trailed off, hoping that he would take the hint.

"I have something I want to talk to you about," Mallet said. "Maybe we can have dinner some time," he suggested.

Natalia shook her head. "I don't think so." She knew she sounded a little hostile but figured that she didn't have any reason to entertain him. "I gotta run. Have a nice day."

"Wait, Jessica," Mallet called out, reaching a hand out to stop her.

Natalia tried to pull away from Mallet but his grip on her arm was firm. "I'm not Jessica." Then she took a deep breath and met his eyes. "Not anymore."

Mallet looked pained. "I don't care what your name is. I -"

"A police officer accosting civillians in broad daylight? Doesn't bode well for the Springfield Police Department," a wry female voice interrupted, causing the grip on Natalia's arm to loosen. Natalia immediately yanked her arm back and took a few steps away from Mallet. "I highly doubt that the city is paying for you to loiter around, causing instead of preventing trouble."

"That's not what's happening here," Mallet said stiffly. Then, at the prominent stare the woman gave him, he added, "Mayor." Natalia's brows lifted at the woman's title.

"Run along now, Mallet," the woman said dismissively, waving him away as though he was a lowly subject. Natalia was relieved when he complied with the demand.

"Thanks," Natalia said after Mallet left. She trailed his retreating form with her eyes until he rounded a bend. Then she turned back to the woman, who was giving her an assessing look.

"I'm going into Company for some breakfast and you're welcome to join me for a bit, in case he decides to hang around."

Not relishing the thought of having to deal with Mallet again if she could help it, Natalia nodded.

"... the biggest event of the year," Greg finished, looking at Olivia, who was trying her best to concentrate on the meeting.

"Yes. Well. Thank you, Greg," Olivia said, rubbing the bridge of her nose and flashing her subordinate a quick smile. It was crazy how much she wanted to see Natalia again even though it had only been a few hours since she had left Natalia at Company. "Everything sounds great. Keep up the good work." She saw Greg looking at her oddly and narrowed her eyes. "What is it?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing," Greg said hurriedly, averting his eyes.

Olivia frowned. "Out with it," she demanded.

"It's just that..." Greg trailed off, annoying Olivia with his hesitance to say whatever he wanted to say. "...you look amazing these days, Ms. Spencer. Ma'am."

Her annoyance dissipated at the compliment. "Thank you," she said, flattered. "That's very sweet of you to say."

Almost as though her thanks had given him a free pass to comment on her, Greg gushed, "And I love the shoes you have on today! Are they Jimmy Choo's? They must be new because I don't remember seeing them on you."

Olivia raised an expensively shoed foot with a big smile on her face. "That they are," she said, feeling immensely pleased at Greg's blatant admiration.

"You have the most fabulous dress sense, if I might say so myself," Greg said with a slight glaze to his eyes, much to Olivia's amusement. "It's a big part of the reason why I took up this job."

Olivia raised a brow, tickled. "You took this job because I dress well?" she asked incredulously.

"Well, yes," Greg said, a tad defensively. "I had a few offers but none of the other bosses looked way you do. And we all know how many hours we spend at work. I'd rather have something good to look at," Greg said before remembering who he was speaking to and began sputtering. "I mean... Uh..."

"I know what you mean, Greg," Olivia said, taking pity on the man, whom she was sure didn't have any hidden agenda. This man shared her taste in shoes, for heaven's sake; she didn't want to stereotype but...

"By the way, Ms. Spencer, I'm holding my birthday celebration at this new club downtown tomorrow night, if you're free," he said, fidgeting with the pen in his hand as he issued the invite. "It's called Buddha Bar. Bring a friend if you like. I've booked a section of the club and there'll be free flow beer and selected wines."

Olivia raised her brow. She had never, not once, been invited to a social event by any of her subordinates. "Am I paying you so well that you can afford to book a section of a club?" she said at last, in order to mask her surprise at the invite.

"My boy- I mean, a friend of mine works there, so it wasn't too expensive," Greg said, showing twin rows of pearly whites in a fake sheepish smile. "I better get back to work now, Ms. Spencer. It's from nine tomorrow night if you're interested."

Olivia watched him scurry over to her door and cleared her throat. "Only if you introduce your boyfriend to me," she said. She wasn't sure why Greg had invited her if he didn't want her to know about his sexuality, but now that he had, she wanted him to know that she was fine with it-more than fine, actually.

"Of course!" Greg said from where he was standing by the door. She could see his evident relief and happiness, and it made her smile faintly. "And Ms. Spencer? If you don't mind me saying one last thing: all of us think that you and Ms. Rivera look fabulous together."

Olivia watched the door close behind Greg with rounded eyes. A few weeks ago, he would never have dared say half the things that he had just said to her. And what did he mean by 'all of us'? Olivia snorted disbelievingly at Emma's photograph. "Well, Jellybean. Looks like you're gonna be one of the last to know about Natalia and me."

**26**

The structure of Buddha Bar used simple, elegant designs and mostly natural textures and colours. Olivia was impressed by the way the natural beauty of different elements were utilised, but was also aware of how much more the materials and finishes employed to create this minimalistic layout would have cost. The music playing was loud enough to create a nice ambience, but not overly so. The combination resulted in a tasteful establishment that would appeal to different groups of people. Olivia wondered if it was time for her to put the Beacon's restaurant space up for bid, perhaps breathe some new life into the place and lessen her workload at the same time.

Olivia smoothed down the front of her snug fitting dress with one hand and surreptitiously glanced at her reflection as she made her way to the section of the club that was closed off for Greg's birthday celebration. She knew that her choice of shoes-a pair of Manolo Blahnik's black and white feathered stilettos-would most probably send Greg into a mini shoe orgasm. She figured this was the least she could do for her employee on his special day. She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned, surprised when she saw Gus smiling at her.

"Fancy meeting you here," he said.

"Gus, hey." She idly wondered who else she would bump into tonight. Springfield was too small sometimes. She supposed that this was a hot spot as it was newly opened. That said, she didn't recall ever seeing this much of Gus Aitoro. "How are you?"

"You look stunning, Olivia."

She smiled gracefully at his compliment. "Thank you." Gus himself looked rather dapper in a dark shirt that was unbuttoned at his throat, tucked into a light coloured pair of trousers. "You don't look too bad yourself," she said politely. "Nice place, huh?" she commented, looking around.

Gus nodded, looking around. "Harley's friends recommended this place. Unfortunately, we're on our way out. The babysitter had a sudden emergency," he said with a sigh. "It's the first time we've been out on a date in forever."

Olivia nodded sympathetically. "The joys of parenthood," she said drolly, eliciting a wry grin from Gus.

"Speaking of which, did you decide to tell Natalia about what we spoke about?" Gus asked, turning slightly when someone bumped against him from behind.

Olivia placed a hand on Gus's arm briefly to stabilise him. "This is hardly the time and place to talk about that," she said in a gently rebuking tone. "But yes, I told her."

Gus nodded, looking a little sheepish. "Rafe really likes her and can't seem to stop talking about her," he said, changing the topic slightly. Olivia smiled at that. "I think Harley's getting a little jealous."

"Well, that's understandable," Olivia said, looking distractedly past Gus. She spotted Greg waving at her with a big grin on his face. "I better go attend this birthday celebration thing," she said to Gus.

"Oh, sure. Let's chat some other time then."

Olivia gave Gus a distracted smile and moved past him. She almost laughed out loud at Greg's excitable hand flapping movement.

"Ms. Spencer! You're here! Oh my God, lemme guess. Manolo Blahniks?" he all but cried out shrilly.

Olivia chuckled and nodded at a few familiar faces looking her way. She was glad when a few of them smiled back at her tentatively. It felt a little odd to be fraternising with her staff but she was sure alcohol would soon rid her of that feeling. She was hoping that alcohol would also rid the fluttering in her stomach, which she attributed to the anticipation of seeing a dressed up Natalia, searching her out in the crowd.

"Are you here alone, Ms. Spencer?" Greg asked, handing Olivia a drink, which she gratefully took and sipped at.

"Na - Ms. Rivera'll be here later. By the way, I wasn't sure what to get you so... Here," Olivia said, handing a creamy envelope to Greg.

Greg's eyes rounded when he saw what was in the envelope. "A f-five hundred dollar giftcard from Prada?" He scrunched up his face and, for a moment, Olivia feared he might cry. "You're the best boss ever," he sniffed. "Ever."

Olivia let out a surprised laugh when Greg pulled her into a hug. She patted his back awkwardly and was relieved when he finally pulled away. She quickly finished her drink and wondered if Natalia would appear soon.

Natalia checked that she had her ID and some cash on her before letting herself out of her room. She hadn't set a specific meeting time with Olivia but she felt rushed by the urge to see Olivia. She hoped that the printed blouse, tight jeans and high boots ensemble under her leather jacket wasn't too casual; she just didn't want to expose her legs to the chill if she could help it.

"Natalia."

Her heart dropped into her stomach even before she whirled around. "God, you're creeping me out! What the hell do you want?" Natalia said, her voice slightly raised. She shot Mallet a dark look and reached into her jacket pocket for the small can of pepper spray that she habitually carried around. The feel of it in her hand calmed her some.

"I just wanna talk," Mallet said, holding up his hands before him and made no move to step closer to her.

"I have somewhere to be. Now," Natalia said, wondering if she should chance walking past him to get to the stairs. She decided against it. She didn't want to be within his reach.

"Please, I really mean you no harm. I'm sorry I grabbed you yesterday," Mallet said, hanging his head.

"You just wanna talk?" Natalia asked. She knew better than to believe him but she wasn't exactly spoiled for choice at the moment. At Mallet's nod, she nodded too. "Fine, we'll talk. But not now. Tomorrow. Eleven. In front of Springfield Mall." A little daylight and crowd wouldn't hurt. And this... this had to stop.

"All right," Mallet said at last.

Natalia fell silent but kept her eyes on him as he turned to go, only letting out the breath she was holding when the sound of his footsteps faded away. Nevertheless, she took out the pepper spray before descending the flight of stairs. Perhaps she should rethink her accommodations as well.

**27**

Buddha Bar had a long line of people leading to its entrance. Natalia chewed on her lower lip at the sight, then recalled Olivia's text telling her that her name would be on the guest list so she wouldn't have to queue. She went up to the door bitch and pushed her hair behind her ear while she waited for the woman to look her way, then frowned when the people the door bitch were talking to were turned away from the club. What if she had dressed inappropriately for this place? What if she didn't look good enough? What if...

"Hi, I'm Natalia Rivera. My friend says I'm on on the list?" she asked a tad nervously when the door bitch looked her way, unconsciously preparing herself for the possibility of rejection.

She wasn't used to this. Her name was never on lists-not with such classy establishments anyway. When the woman located her name and nodded for her to enter the club with a brisk smile, Natalia blinked several times, wondering at how much her life had changed in the last few weeks. She felt as though she was on a rollercoaster ride-breathless, adrenalin pumping, occasionally squeezing her eyes shut with fear or anticipation. Most of the time, the ride was going so fast, she wasn't even sure if a dip or climb came next.

She wondered how long it would last before she had to go back to reality.

Natalia unwound the scarf around her neck and removed her jacket. After transferring her cash and cell into her jeans pockets, she checked her scarf and jacket in at the cloakroom. So this was how the rich lived. Being around Olivia should have opened her eyes to this side of the world but that wasn't the case. It was now clear to her just how wrapped up she was in her feelings for Olivia. Natalia took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment to collect herself.

The club was bustling with people but not overly so. Natalia looked at the row of buddha statues lined against a long wall of trickling water in awe. The ostentatious display should have put her off, but instead, she felt herself soothed by the sound of the water and calmed by the expression carved onto the statues' faces. She scanned the club and made her way towards a sectioned off area, spotting Olivia almost immediately.

She realised that she hadn't had many chances to observe Olivia unnoticed. So she requested for a glass of water from the bar at the risk of spending all her money on a single drink, found a spot, and... well, for the lack of a better word, perved.

Olivia wasn't beautiful. She was _so_ much more than that. It was the way she looked at someone, the way the bridge of her nose crinkled when she laughed, the way her full lips curved, either sensually or in amusement. It was the way she moved, the way her legs looked perched on those overpriced heels she so loved wearing...

A jolt shot through her body when Olivia, probably feeling eyes on her, found her in the crowd and looked straight at her. She wasn't sure what expression her face was wearing that very moment but whatever it was, it made Olivia lower her face slightly, hold her gaze with narrowed eyes, and curve her lips up in a predatory smile.

It was the breathless moment of a rollercoaster ride, where everything froze for her.

She watched Olivia set her drink down and make her way down the few steps that led up the elevated platform the private party was held on. Then she raised her glass to her lips and took a sip of water to wet her mouth. Olivia was demonstrating the reason why women wore heels and dresses, and Natalia felt it imperative that she gave her absolute attention.

The floor stretched out between them like the incline of a rollercoaster track. Natalia set her glass down without taking her eyes off of Olivia and pushed herself from the side of the table that she was leaning against. If this club was a room with just the two of them in it, Natalia would have taken her top off by now. Instead, she had to settle for undressing Olivia mentally, letting her gaze caress what she longed to touch with her hands and lips, tongue and teeth.

Olivia came to a stop before her, breathing a tad heavily. Natalia could see the rise and fall of Olivia's chest and it made her swallow. Then she tilted her face back and leaned up to brush their lips together in a warm greeting.

"I know you just got here but after the way you've just undressed me with your eyes, I think we might have to leave before someone kicks us out," Olivia whispered jokingly in Natalia's ear, making her chuckle. Then their eyes met and they shared a smile. Olivia took her hand in hers, led her up the platform, and slipped her arm around her waist after introducing her to Greg and his boyfriend, Paul.

The ride dipped and Natalia found herself falling headlong with it, relishing in the thrilling, stomach flipping sensation that came with being referred to as Olivia's girlfriend.

Greg's chocolate fudge birthday cake was utterly decadent. Olivia moaned softly at another mouthful of cake and promised herself that she would put in extra time at the gym for this indulgence. She opened her eyes and caught sight of Natalia laughing at something Paul said; it made her happy to see Natalia enjoying herself.

She didn't know how or when Natalia's happiness had become a priority in her life. She hadn't realised that relationships could be so... simple. Everything just felt so natural; she wasn't confused, disturbed or uncomfortable with the fact that she was seeing a woman. She would even go as far to say that the level of openness and honesty she shared with Natalia was due but not limited to the fact that Natalia was a woman; the parallel in Natalia's and her own life experiences had a big part to play in their connection. And their sexual chemistry... well, _that_ was also a big factor. Huge. She had always been a sexual person; to have met someone who was equally comfortable with that part of themselves was such a great feeling.

For the first time in her life, she didn't feel like she had to fight for someone's affections. For the first time in her life, she was fighting _alongside_ someone for a common goal.

She caught Natalia looking back at her with a smile she instinctively knew was reserved only for her, and it made her insides go soft. Then Natalia was sliding into the booth beside her.

"Hey," she greeted Natalia softly. "Cake?" she offered, lifting the fork in her hand. Natalia responded by opening her mouth and taking the proffered morsel between her lips. Olivia felt her eyes glaze over at the obvious look of appreciation on Natalia's face. "Good, huh."

Natalia nodded. "Oh. Yeah."

Olivia chuckled and leaned over to kiss the corner of Natalia's mouth. "You've got chocolate all over your face," she teased softly.

"Oh, you just wanted an excuse to do that," Natalia said, her lips twitching.

Olivia lifted a brow. "Do I _need_ an excuse to do that?" she asked. Then she narrowed her eyes when she felt Natalia's hand sliding up the inside of her knee. "What are you doing?" Her voice dropped to a breathy whisper at the wicked look on Natalia's face.

"Nothing."

Natalia's innocent tone didn't fool Olivia one bit and she felt her hands falter when Natalia's fingers touched her inner thigh. "Natalia..." she said warningly.

"I want another bite."

Olivia had to work her shaky hand to fulfil Natalia's request, but her attention was elsewhere: namely, on the wandering hand that didn't seem to be stopping its trek up her thigh.

"Relax, Olivia," Natalia said, her voice soft. "No one's gonna notice."

"Notice wha - _Oh God_," Olivia said in a rush when Natalia caressed the length of her in a bold, intimate way. She almost dropped her fork. Then she bit back a moan when Natalia's fingers slipped past her underwear and began massaging her centre. She gasped when she felt Natalia slide into her to coat her fingers with her wetness before circling back to her centre. Her mind reeled with conflicting thoughts of what they were doing in a public space and how much she wanted Natalia's touch to bring her to fulfilment. Her legs widened of their own accord, sending a hot flush of shame up her cheeks.

"You are so sexy, Olivia," Natalia husked out, pressing closer under the guise of taking another mouthful of cake from Olivia. "I wish I could put your leg over my shoulder and take you right now. Hear you scream my name, have you scratch your nails down my back..."

Olivia's eyes shot open at Natalia's words, then glazed over with lust. Her breath was turning ragged at Natalia's delicious ministrations. She lowered the plate and fork in her hands.

"You have to hold the plate up, Olivia," Natalia murmured. "Have a bite of cake," she suggested.

"What?" Cake was the last thing on Olivia's mind right now-sinfully good tasting chocolate or not. "I can't -"

"Yes you can, Olivia," Natalia said coaxingly. "You can do anything. And right now, I need you to hold the plate up, okay?"

Olivia nodded shakily and tried to collect her senses. She could do this. Her nipples felt sensitive against the fabric of her dress and were aching to be touched. Her leg muscles were tensed up, and her head was swimming in the craziness of what she was allowing Natalia to do to her. But she could do this. She could hold up this God damned plate.

"Is this good, Olivia?"

Olivia whimpered softly at the question. She was finding it really hard to keep her eyes open and her cries locked up in her head. She was so close, so close... "_Very_..."

"You drive me insane, Olivia. I want you so bad..."

At those words, Olivia bit back a groan and shuddered. She felt Natalia take the plate from her with her free hand, then wrapped her hands around Natalia's shoulders in what she hoped would seem like a hug to anyone looking while Natalia kept her other hand pressed against her most intimate spot, holding her together as she came apart.

"You know payback's a bitch, right?" Olivia husked out when she caught her breath. She couldn't believe that she had just orgasmed in front of her employees and a whole bunch of newly-met strangers. But more so, she couldn't believe how ready she was to go again. She quickly straightened herself and took a deep breath to calm herself.

Olivia's eyes flickered over to Natalia when she heard her hum. She gasped disbelievingly when Natalia dug into the cake with the hand that was, just a moment ago, doing crazy things to her body, and brought it to her lips. Her mouth went dry and her stomach flipped when Natalia slid her chocolate and _Olivia_ coated fingers into her own mouth.

"I believe you might just be the death of me, Natalia Rivera," Olivia said faintly but seriously.

Natalia licked her lips when she was done and turned to Olivia with an incorrigible but sweet smile on her face. "Oh, but I need you alive for the things I want you to do to me..."

Olivia found that she couldn't fault Natalia's logic. Not one bit.

"Ms. Spencer! Natalia! Are you guys enjoying yourselves?"

Olivia looked up at Greg's drunken cry and held her breath while she nodded. "Oh yeah. Lovely cake, Greg. Great party," she heard Natalia say beside her and fought to hold back a wild giggle. She smiled when Natalia kissed her cheek.

Then Natalia was gone, pulled away by Greg, who had demanded they share a dance to Lady Gaga's 'Poker Face'. She let out a breath, still in disbelief at what had just transpired, unsure if she should thank God or curse at Him for birthday parties and devilish girlfriends.

They had started kissing even before they entered Olivia's room at the Beacon. Coats, jackets, purses and scarves were discarded haphazardly when the door closed behind them. Natalia had no idea how Olivia had managed to find and insert her keycard to get the door open while they were kissing heatedly, but she had always subscribed to the thought that there were things in the world beyond her comprehension. She was content to enjoy the benefits of the situation without needing to know how she got there.

She unzipped Olivia's dress and pulled its straps off her shoulders, smiling against Olivia's lips when she felt it fall onto the carpetted floor. She pulled Olivia out of the pool of material around her feet and hummed when their bodies met, loving the feel of an almost naked Olivia pressed up against her. Touching Olivia at the club before had turned her on so much. She wanted to feel Olivia everywhere, in every way possible; she didn't think she could ever get enough of her.

"_God_, Natalia, you're driving me crazy..."

It was as though Olivia's voice was wired to her. A bolt of desire shot through her, making her growl and attack Olivia's neck and throat, pushing her up against a wall and taking erect nipples between her fingers.

"I need... you... your..."

Natalia had a take a few deep breaths to calm herself so that she could process what Olivia was saying. She cradled Olivia's face in her hands and met dazed looking eyes with her own. "Hm?" She felt like she had just done a hundred metre dash whilst standing in one spot. Her heart was racing and her skin felt damp and hot. She kissed Olivia's lips, cheek and the skin above her pulse point softly, unable to fully stop what she was doing.

"Take your clothes off," Olivia demanded in a ragged voice.

She allowed Olivia to pull her blouse off and jeans down. Her bra went next. Natalia smiled faintly when Olivia knelt down in front of her to pull her underwear down. Then all the air went out of her lungs when Olivia used the momentum of her stepping out of her underwear to nudge her legs further apart, and pressed eager lips to the wet, hot core of her. She hurriedly rested a hand on Olivia's head to balance herself. The feel of Olivia moving her tongue, lips and teeth against her while she was fighting to remain upright was dizzying.

"Olivia, I... _Oh, God_, that feels... I can't... don't..." Even she herself wasn't sure what she wanted to say. Her body swayed and her hold on Olivia tightened. Her other hand reached out to brace herself against the wall; her concentration was split between the need to stay up and the need to keep her hips from moving too quickly so that she might draw out the sweet, painful pressure that was building up in her lower abdomen. This was the first time Olivia was using her mouth on her and it felt nothing short of amazing. Just when she thought she couldn't take it anymore, Olivia abruptly stopped what she was doing.

"Wha - Olivia?" Natalia panted, forcing her eyes open. "_Olivia_..." she whispered breathlessly when she met Olivia's hooded eyes from the vantage point between her legs. She tried to guide Olivia's mouth back to where she needed it most. Faint tremors crashed through her body, making her shudder slightly. It was insufficient, dissatisfying-_maddeningly_ so.

"Paybacks, Natalia, paybacks... I told you it's a bitch..." she heard Olivia say and almost screamed in frustration.

"Baby, _please_... I need you..." Natalia was obviously not above begging. She hummed in appreciation when Olivia began kissing her now slick inner thigh. She moved her hips enticingly as her eyes fell shut and head fell back. She was aware that Olivia's hands were doing most of the work in keeping her upright as her head swam. She wanted to touch her neglected breasts but she wasn't sure that she could move her hands from Olivia's head and the wall. "Oh, fuck, yes..." she hissed when Olivia's tongue boldly caressed her length and slipped into her. Then she felt Olivia's nails scratch down her buttock and the outside of her thigh and she moaned loudly. Her body was strung up so tight she thought she would explode.

"You taste so good..."

Natalia whimpered at Olivia's appreciative words. Then Olivia's tongue was pressed flat against her centre again and she rolled her hips urgently, wanting more, _needing_ more.

Almost as though Olivia could hear her screaming thoughts, she felt fingers slipping past her folds and into her, filling her up even as a skilful tongue sped up its motion against her, creating the wonderful, pleasurable feeling of need in her lower abdomen again. She cried out as she came apart, her fingers digging into Olivia's hair and curving against the wall, trying to find the traction that she needed to stay upright.

Her world went dark for a split second before she gasped and came to, finding herself sliding down onto the floor, her legs limp and useless.

"_Natalia_... you are... _everything_..."

Unable to speak, Natalia reached out for Olivia blindly and folded their bodies together before cradling Olivia's face gently, breathing in the warmth of Olivia's breath. Then she touched their lips together and smiled at the taste of herself on Olivia. Olivia was still a warm presence in her throbbing body; she shifted slightly so that they could remain that way for a while longer. She trailed her hand down Olivia's hair, shoulder and arm.

"I love being with you, like this..." Natalia whispered when she discovered speech again. "I love being with you, _any_ way." Her heart pounded in her chest as she gazed at Olivia's beautiful features. Then she sighed when Olivia kissed her temple.

Olivia made her forget. Olivia made her remember. Olivia made her want all the things she never thought she could have. Olivia _gave_ her all the things she never thought she wanted. It was new and thrilling and scary.

"I want to get Emma tomorrow. I want you to meet her. Will you come with me?"

Natalia hummed softly. "_Yes_." Then she remembered that she had to meet Mallet at the mall and her stomach turned. She didn't want to talk about him while they were in this intimate position. "Shall we grab a shower? There's something I need to tell you." She kissed Olivia's lips when Olivia nodded, and they moved to get up. Natalia held onto Olivia as they made for the bathroom, reluctant to relinquish their contact.

If she had a choice, she would never want to let Olivia go.

**28**

Natalia woke up to find herself alone in the bed. She reached over for the pillow beside her head and buried her face in it, breathed in Olivia's scent, and wondered where she was. One of the first things she had learnt about Olivia was that she wasn't an early riser. With the exception of the one time where Olivia had to be at work, Olivia had never risen before her when they slept together. She knew for a fact that Olivia wasn't working today. They were meant to pick Emma up from Olivia's brother's place in Chicago after her meeting with Mallet.

A while and still no Olivia later, Natalia flung the pillow to one side and clambered out of bed. Her dark hair fell haphazardly around her terry robe clad shoulders as she fumbled with the sash belt around her waist. She roamed around the suite, peeking into the bathroom and Emma's room.

No Olivia.

Natalia ruffled her hair, looked around the suite, and went to turn the television on before lying down on the couch. A few minutes later, she fell back to sleep and began dreaming about trying to finish off a neverending stack of pancakes.

Her lips wouldn't stop moving. Natalia moaned, trying to turn her head from another mouthful of pancake, but it wouldn't leave her alone. Then her dreamscape shifted and Natalia's brows furrowed.

"Natalia..."

"No... no more..." Natalia mumbled, trying to fend herself from a scary looking fork.

"_Baby_..."

Natalia shifted and smiled when she felt her arms wrap around a warm body. She hummed contentedly and snuggled closer to it. Then she felt something warm and wet on her neck and frowned. She finally cracked open an eye and whimpered when she realised that the warm, wet sensation on her neck was caused by Olivia gently sucking on her pulse point. "_Olivia_..."

"Oh, _now_ you're up."

She spied Olivia's smirk and smiled faintly in response. "Hi." She blinked sleepily and brought a hand to her eyes. "You're up early."

"I went grocery shopping. I thought maybe I can cook for us tonight... you know, to celebrate Emma coming home."

Natalia's lips curved up immediately. "I can cook so you can spend time with Emma," she offered. Her eyes finally focussed on Olivia's face, smiling warmly at her. She reached out a hand to touch a smooth cheek. "Hi," she greeted again in a soft, shy voice. She wasn't sure exactly what she was feeling so happy about but it was colouring her voice and sending a slight blush to her cheeks.

"I think you're wonderful."

The blush in her cheeks deepened at Olivia's soft declaration and she rolled her eyes. "Sweet talker." Following her mock rebuke, she raised her head slightly to press her lips against Olivia's forehead. "You smell really nice," she said before dropping her head back down on the couch. She twirled a lock of Olivia's hair around a finger distractedly.

"Natalia, this is crazy. I can't seem to keep my hands off you long enough to do anything else," Olivia said in an exasperated voice, her eyes flicking to an audacious hand that had somehow snuck past the loose barrier of Natalia's terry robe of its own accord and was gently cupping a full breast.

Natalia half moaned and half snorted when she spied the renegade hand, then covered it with her own to prevent it from moving anywhere. "I'm not complaining," she murmured huskily, lightly stroking the back of Olivia's hand with her fingers.

Olivia growled but let her hand lie motionless on Natalia's bare skin. "It's time for you to get up. You have somewhere to be really soon. Then _we_ have somewhere to be after that."

Natalia shut her eyes and grimaced at the reminder of who she was due to meet at the mall. "What time is it?"

"Almost ten," Olivia said. Then, in a lower, warmer tone of voice, "Your skin is so soft..."

Natalia smiled again at the wonder in Olivia's voice. "I think you can make me come just by talking to me," she murmured playfully, then chuckled at the salacious look Olivia threw her at her comment.

"I can think of much better things to do with my mouth," Olivia said, nudging Natalia's terry robe open and sticking out a tongue to circle a nipple.

Natalia's eyes fluttered close briefly. "I think you're evil," she finally said in a breathy voice, but neither pulled her robe close nor shift away from Olivia's mouth. "Didn't you say that I should get up? Things to do, people to see?" She tried to raise her brow and replicate the arched look she often saw on Olivia's face, but didn't think that she quite got it. Only Olivia could pull that look off; only Olivia could get her this aroused with just a look, touch, and string of words.

Olivia wrinkled her nose, climbed onto the couch, and laid partially on Natalia. "That you do. But me, on the other hand, I've only got things to _see_, one person to _do_, and about ten minutes to do it, so I'm gonna stop talking... Right. About. Now."

Natalia giggled at Olivia's words, then gasped when Olivia's mouth worked down her chest. Olivia shifted and Natalia repositioned her legs to wrap them around Olivia's waist, sighing when her robe fell open. Olivia growled, presumably at the realisation that she had a naked centre pressed up against her torso. The sound sent a shiver of anticipation down Natalia's body, and the firm, intimate touch that followed caused her thinking facility to shut down, leaving her to soak in a world of sensation.

It was a sunny day, despite the chilly wind. Natalia hurried across the parking lot where Olivia had dropped her off, wound her scarf tighter around her neck, and adjusted her sunglasses so that it sat on her head. She scanned the people near the entrance of Springfield Mall but did not see Mallet anywhere. She worried at her lower lip. A part of her was relieved and wondered if she had missed him as she was almost half an hour late; another part of her was anxious that she had as she didn't relish another uninvited visit from him.

It was decided that Olivia would wait for her in the car while she spoke with Mallet. They had agreed that it was better to not clue him in on their relationship; the less Mallet knew about Natalia, the better. All Natalia wanted to do was to listen to what he had to say to her so that he wouldn't have anymore reason to look her up, then embark on her mini roadtrip with Olivia to get Emma. Of course, Mallet probably didn't need any reason to look her up, but she was trying to be optimistic, especially after the kind of night and morning she had had. She couldn't help the smile that enveloped her face and the slight tinge of pink that rose on her cheeks at the thought.

There was something about Olivia's surprise, her evident conflict before capitulating, and her subsequent guilty pleasure the night before that set Natalia's blood racing. Then this morning, her playful assertiveness took her breath away. She liked how Olivia wasn't just one thing, or one way about everything. She liked that Olivia was willing to push the boundary of what she considered to be comfortable. It made her feel like they were exploring new experiences together.

Natalia could see Olivia's white car from where she was standing, and the knowledge that Olivia was close somewhat calmed the jittery feeling in the pit of her stomach. She tapped her foot and crossed her arms before her, happy to take flight if Mallet didn't show in the next two minutes. She sidestepped a bunch of teenagers and suddenly felt an arm around her waist, propelling her through automatic sliding doors.

**29**

Learning that Mallet was Natalia's old regular had made Olivia wonder, yet again, at how small the world could be sometimes. Apart from that, she really couldn't say that she felt anything with regards to the information. She didn't know much about Mallet, only that he was with the police and hadn't been in Springfield for too long. She hadn't even known that he was seeing Marina Cooper until Buzz mentioned their engagement in passing.

Natalia hadn't said much but it was obvious to Olivia that Mallet liked Natalia a little too much. To be fair, Olivia couldn't fault the man for his taste. But given that Natalia obviously had no interest in rekindling any sort of relationship with him, and was actually in one with her, Olivia was ready to kick some sleazy ass-police officer or not.

After a quick phonecall to Robert, Olivia looked over to the mall entrance and frowned when she no longer saw Natalia. She wrote Natalia a quick text message asking if everything was okay, then got out of her car.

After she pulled away from Mallet, Natalia scowled darkly at him. His face was hidden under the curved bill of a baseball cap; the nervous air he had about him set her nerves on edge. "I'd really appreciate it if you _never_ touch me again," she said, her tone cool.

"I think someone's following me. We have to find somewhere safe to talk..." Mallet said instead of responding to her statement. "There's a game arcade here, come on," he said, reaching for her.

"I mean it. Stop touching me," Natalia said, moving to stand out Mallet's reach. "I don't understand what's going on but I need to go soon. Right here is as good a place as any for us to talk," she said, coming to a stop outside a shoe shop. "After this, I want you to stay away from me."

"Why are you so cold towards me?" Mallet asked, sounding stung. "I thought we had something."

Natalia frowned. "Business transactions-that's _all_ we had," she said, grimacing a little inwardly as she said it. Then she took a moment to collect herself and squared her shoulders. "You were my client, nothing more."

Mallet shook his head. "That can't be true. Look at me. You see me. Everyone else sees Mallet but you know the real me. You're probably the only person left in the world who knows Tony Camaletti," he said urgently, searching her eyes.

The name rung a bell. No wonder 'Mallet' hadn't sounded familiar to her at all. Natalia had known him as Tony. "It was just work for me. I don't even remember most things that you've told me," Natalia said truthfully. "I assure you, I am not what you want."

"I know, you're mad at me because I left without a word," Mallet said in a low voice. "I'm sorry but I had to. Vizzini needed me in New York and I couldn't say no. I was _that_ close to bringing the son of a bitch to justice... And after that -"

Natalia shook her head, not in the least interested in what Mallet was saying. "Look. I'm gonna be really honest here, okay? I'm not mad at you and I don't have feelings for you. I couldn't even remember your _name_," she said, staring at Mallet, hoping that he would see the truth of her words.

"What must I do for you to believe me? I love you. I haven't stopped thinking about you all this time and I've been meaning to look you up the moment I got out of this mess with Vizzini."

Natalia stepped a little further away from Mallet and crossed her hands before her, immensely uncomfortable at his declaration. "I'm with someone else. I don't feel anything for you."

"No!"

A few heads turned at Mallet's outburst and he took a deep breath to calm himself. "I don't believe that," he said a while later, his voice strained. "Who is he? He can't love you or protect you like I can. I know you. I know who you are, what you do, and I love you anyway."

Natalia couldn't help the snort of disbelief that escaped her. "You don't know me at all," she said, shaking her head in slight bewilderment that this man could claim such a thing. "You know _nothing_ about me. You paid for my time. That was it and that's all there'll ever be to it. Now my time can't be bought anymore. And I really have better things to do than stand here and listen to this. You should spend time with Marina instead," she suggested.

"Is that what the problem is?" Mallet asked, looking like he had suddenly seen light. "Marina is a good woman but she isn't you. She could never know me like you do."

Natalia almost threw her hands in the air in frustration. It felt as though they were speaking completely different languages. "_No_," she said firmly, knowing that she had to keep her cool. "I don't have a problem with you and Marina being together, except I now think she deserves better than you," Natalia said, shaking her head, unable to keep the sarcasm from her voice.

"I'll break up with her, if that's what's gonna make you happy," Mallet said. He tried to close the distance between them but Natalia retreated immediately.

"Look, this is crazy. I don't have any feelings for you. Stay away from me," Natalia said firmly. "This conversation's over. Don't ever look me up again." Having nothing else to say to him, Natalia began walking away.

"No, wait, Natalia..." Mallet reached out for Natalia to stop her from leaving. This time, however, she was ready for him. She lifted her booted foot and stomped down on him hard, then watched him jump on one leg, trying not to topple over.

"I mean what I say," Natalia said quietly, ignoring the inquisitive looks around her. "And I specifically told you to _never_ touch me again." When she turned, she saw Olivia standing a few feet ahead of her with a smirk on her face, looking rather proud. She felt her heart skip a beat at the unexpected sight and she smiled faintly in response.

This might not be the last she would see of Mallet but at least he now knew that she wasn't someone he could coerce into doing something she didn't want to do. And quite honestly, there was absolutely nothing he could give her, not when she had someone like Olivia looking at her that way.

**30**

The drive to Sam's place would take them just over three hours. This time, no longer looking over her shoulder for Phillip's menacing presence, Olivia had set her GPS for the journey. This time, she was happy and couldn't wait to see Sam and Emma. She snuck a peek at Natalia and smiled faintly to herself; she couldn't wait for Sam and Emma to meet Natalia either.

They hadn't spoken since they had left Springfield and Olivia was enjoying the silence. She liked conversing with Natalia, but even more so, she liked that she could be silent with Natalia. She thought back to when she saw Emma last and realised with a start that she had met Natalia for the first time that same day. She snorted softly under her breath when she recalled her rationale for picking Natalia up; the irony did not escape her. Then she frowned in disbelief at the timeframe; she couldn't believe the level of trust that existed between them, almost right from the very start. In fact, everything that had happened from the moment she slowed down her car to speak to Natalia had been unexpected.

This had been quite the ride. Olivia thought back to their first night together at the hotel; the memory of the bewilderment that had leaked through Natalia's guarded face made her lips twitch. She had confused the poor woman so, offering to pay her for ten hours of her time, then not asking anything of her. She was glad that nothing had happened between them during their initial time together because if something had, she didn't think Natalia would be seated beside her right now. She would have left once the ten hours was up without a backward glance, and Olivia wouldn't have wanted her to stay. Instead, she had gotten the chance to know Natalia.

Natalia had a quiet strength that was so different from her own fiery temperament. And today, she had displayed it at the mall. Olivia replayed the memory of Natalia's boot coming down on Mallet's foot and smirked. It was hot. _Natalia_ was hot. So hot, in fact, that Olivia had to take a breath to calm her raging libido. She didn't want Natalia to walk away safe and sound from her dangerous past and creepy ex-client, only to have everything taken from her in a car crash.

"You look pleased about something."

Natalia's voice interrupted Olivia's reverie and she threw a glance her way. "I was just thinking..." she said with a faint smile playing on her lips. She let her gaze linger on dark features and a prominent dimple before turning her attention back to the road.

"Do I wanna know what of?" Natalia asked teasingly, making Olivia's smile deepen and a slight blush to creep up her cheeks. "Oh, so it's like that, huh."

Olivia lifted a brow. "Like what?" she challenged, then tilted her head in shy surprise when Natalia trailed the back of her fingers down her cheek and lightly traced the outside of her ear. She had come to accept that Natalia's touch did funny things to her insides, more so than anyone else's touch ever did.

"Thank you for caring, Olivia."

Olivia frowned slightly at the quietly spoken non-sequitur. "What do you mean?"

"You came to look for me, to make sure I was okay. Thank you."

Olivia shook her head and playfully narrowed her eyes at Natalia. "It's not like I did anything."

"You did. You let me fight my battle, but you were there in case I needed help. That... that means a lot," Natalia said thoughtfully. "You didn't jump in wanting to save me. It's one of the things I like best about being with you."

Natalia was stroking her cheek again; Olivia leaned into the touch briefly. "Does that rank above or below my stunning smile?" she asked lightly, not wanting the conversation to take a serious turn. She smiled when Natalia chuckled softly. "Or my incomparable driving skills? And I must totally score points for my quick wit, right?"

"Well... you are a fantastic kisser. And your voice... I like your voice. Very much. Too much, in fact," Natalia said, making Olivia blush. "I like your strength..." Natalia continued, her voice lowering as she trailed her hand down Olivia's forearm, making her muscles jump under her skin. "... and I like your softness..." Olivia swallowed when Natalia leaned in close, so that her breath lightly brushed her ear. "I can't decide. I might have to take notes when we make out next so I can tell you the exact order of what I like best about being with you."

"Okay." Olivia knew that she sounded strangled, but she couldn't help it.

"How about now?" Natalia suggested cheekily.

"What?" Olivia hurriedly turned her face and tightened her grip on the steering wheel. "You wanna make out now?" she asked, thinking that she sounded a little frenzied and cleared her throat self-consciously.

"All the time, Olivia. I want to make out with you all the time." The matter-of-factly manner in which Natalia answered her made her blow out a breath and shift a little in her seat. "How long more do we have on this drive?"

"About an hour," Olivia said, glancing at the time on the dashboard. "Why?"

"I wish you weren't wearing jeans," Natalia said softly, running her hands down Olivia's thigh, making her breath catch. "I want to taste you."

The memory of what they did at Buddha Bar crashed through Olivia's head; she took a deep breath and swallowed. Then she let the breath out. "Stop it. You'll kill us."

"Then pull over."

Olivia frowned. "What?" She turned to meet Natalia's dark eyes.

"Pull over and fuck me, Olivia."

Olivia shivered at the quiet command in Natalia's voice. She stared at Natalia for a short moment before returning her attention to the road, incredibly aroused at the suggestion and its delivery. She briefly wondered if her car windows were tinted enough, then caught sight of an exit ahead for Dresden Cooling Lake. She made a quick decision and took the exit.

The anticipation of what would happen once the car stopped made Natalia's stomach flip and blood sing. She began pulling off her jacket and smiled to herself when she saw Olivia swallow. They shared a heated look and Natalia blew out a shaky breath. She saw Olivia turn the car onto a dirt track and reached down to take her boots off. Olivia engaged the car's auto lock and the sound made her stomach flip again.

The area around them looked undisturbed. The brush wasn't thick but it didn't look like there was anyone around for them to hide themselves from. When Olivia finally found a spot that she was happy with and killed the engine, Natalia already had her jeans off. She leaned on the car door and parted her legs slightly, loving the look of lust on Olivia's face as she worked her seat belt free.

"What are you doing to me?"

Olivia's voice was thick and it sent a shiver down Natalia's body. "Push your seat back," she said breathlessly. After Olivia did as she was told, she climbed over to straddle Olivia, sighing when she felt warm hands slipping under her top and sliding up her back to fumble with her bra clasp. Natalia rested her elbows on Olivia's shoulders and framed Olivia's face with her foreams. They were both breathing heavily even though they hadn't even kissed.

"I can smell you..." Olivia murmured huskily, her eyes darkening.

"You turn me on so much," Natalia responded softly, moving her hips slightly. She nuzzled Olivia's neck, breathing in her scent. "Fuck me, Olivia. Make me yours."

She heard Olivia whimper, then growl at her words. Her underwear was pushed aside and she was suddenly filled up with Olivia. Breath rushed out of her lungs and her eyes rolled back when she heard Olivia groan. She began moving slowly, impaling herself on Olivia again and again, feeling hot wetness rush out of her to coat Olivia's fingers. Her centre kept bumping against Olivia's thumb; the staccato contact caused her need to climb jaggedly, with no end in sight. She moaned loudly before crushing their lips together in a heated kiss, wanting more of Olivia everywhere.

"I can't get enough of you," she husked out before closing her teeth around the tender flesh just below Olivia's ear. She pressed down on Olivia and gyrated her hips slowly. When Olivia circled her centre with her thumb with varying pressure and speed, Natalia thought she might go crazy with need. They found a rhythm and began moving together. She stared into hooded green eyes that were dark with passion and lust and wondered if she might drown in them. Then Olivia lowered her face and bit on her nipple through her blouse, causing her head to snap back and body to arch forward. She was so close. Her thighs were weak with pleasure and her mouth was dry from crying out. And Olivia, Olivia was driving her crazy with her touch.

"_God, I love you, Natalia_..."

Natalia's eyes shot open at the whispered words. Before her mind could process anything, before her lips could form a reply, her orgasm crashed through her, robbing her of her breath and senses.


	7. Chapters 31 to 36

**Warnings and Disclaimers**: This AU story contains adult themes and language, and deals with the sex industry, which might not be to everyone's taste, so please do NOT proceed if you are not of age or if any of that might offend you. It is rated **NC-17**.

All characters from Guiding Light do not belong to me. All the other characters do, however, so please leave them alone. This story is set in an alternate universe, where Natalia Rivera's history and timeline are greatly altered. Most of Olivia Spencer's history remain intact at this point.

I've decided not to worry too much about pre-Otalia plotline discrepancy as this is an AU after all.

**Devil Ride**

by

xenalvr

**31**

Olivia was as surprised as she thought Natalia might have been when the declaration of love spilled from her lips. A small part of her panicked but she managed to appear calm outwardly. Then she reasoned that there was nothing wrong for her to state what she felt, when she felt it.

Contrary to what many people believed, 'I love you' wasn't a question and didn't require an answer. 'I love you' was a statement of what someone felt at the moment of utterance, regardless of what the other person felt. Too much importance was placed upon the utterance of the words, and too often were the words used inappropriately, as a tool, to get something in return. She didn't want that with Natalia. She didn't want anything that wasn't freely given.

More often than not, she had needed validation from the people she had been with, and had been insecure that she wasn't enough. Hearing those three words would appease her for a while, but enough time would go by and she would go back to feeling insecure. She didn't want to be that way anymore, chasing after a few meaningless words of affection when there was so much more to be had.

Olivia pressed her lips against Natalia's damp forehead and inhaled deeply. The car windows had fogged up, creating a false sense of disconnection from the rest of the world. Olivia felt Natalia's breathing even out.

"You said..." Natalia started to say when she lifted her head from Olivia's shoulder. Her eyes searched Olivia's.

"I did," Olivia replied evenly, meeting Natalia's eyes squarely before she smiled. "And I do." She watched Natalia's eyes narrow slightly as she processed her response, then lifted a hand to smooth Natalia's hair from her face. "And that's that," she said.

After a long while of just staring at her, Natalia's face softened into a faint smile and she leaned forward to touch her lips to Olivia's. "I think this might be the best thing I like about being with you," she said softly when she pulled away.

"What is?" Olivia asked, her lips twitching. She liked their proximity, Natalia's comfortable weight, the honesty and genuine affection filtering through shuttered dark eyes. In that moment, Olivia knew what it felt like to be someone's choice instead of the runner-up she always seemed to be. She touched their noses together and stole a kiss from Natalia.

"Knowing when to push me and when to let me be. Knowing that I wouldn't be here if I didn't... feel the way I do."

Olivia smirked self-deprecatingly. "I wish that were true. I don't actually know all that."

"But you do." Natalia rested her forehead against Olivia's and smiled. "I guess we're just meant to be together."

Olivia's heart skipped a beat at Natalia's words. "You do seem to fit pretty well with me," she said softly, twirling a lock of Natalia's hair around her finger. "I like your hair. It's pretty... _You're_ pretty..." Olivia sighed. "And I'm pretty lucky to have you sitting on my lap, looking at me this way."

She loved the way Natalia smiled so sweetly and coyly, the way her eyes slanted and her dimples showed. She loved that she could put that expression on her face.

"I love _you_, Olivia..." Natalia said slowly, as though she was testing out the words. "... and I'm the lucky one."

Olivia realised that she wasn't learning anything she hadn't already felt to be true; they were merely using the words to describe the way they felt instead of saying the words to convince each other that they felt that way. She leaned forward and caught Natalia's lower lip between her teeth. They shared a smile between slow, lingering kisses.

"As much as I'm enjoying this, I think we should go..." Olivia said finally when she began to feel heated up again from all their touching and kissing.

"I think you're right." Natalia rested her forehead against hers and sounded like she was trying to catch her breath. It made Olivia smile to know that she wasn't the only one who was this affected by their interaction.

Olivia busied herself with starting the car and turning on the air-conditioner in the effort to defog the windows after Natalia slid off of her to return to her seat. She idly watched Natalia put on her jeans and reached out a hand to snap the waistband of Natalia's underwear playfully.

"Olivia!"

She chuckled at Natalia's yelp and snatched her hand back before Natalia's palm could connect with it. Then when most of the front and back windscreens were defogged, she turned the car around and drove back up the dirt track.

It was going to take them another hour or so to get to Sam's rental cottage, which was located on the outskirts of Chicago. Being a journalist, Sam travelled frequently and preferred to live in less urbanised areas. Natalia could hear the affection in Olivia's voice when she spoke about her brother; it made her nostalgic and more than a little envious. Being an only child, Natalia had had to spend a lot of time by herself. She recalled wishing that she had a sibling to share her burden with when she first found out about her pregnancy.

She used to wonder how different her life would have been if she had had some kind of support back then. Now, she wondered if she and Olivia would have met in that life.

"Do you think we'd have met if my parents had been supportive of me having Raphael?" she asked after a while, voicing her thought to Olivia, who turned to give her a speculative look. They had just gotten back to the car after a pit stop at a gas station. "If they had taken my pregnancy in stride, given me the support that I had needed, do you think we'd still have met?"

Olivia chewed on her lower lip. "Most probably not." After a bit, she added, "And even if we did, we'd probably not have had the chance to spend the night together in a hotel room and... you know."

Natalia smirked. "No, I _don't_ know. We wouldn't have had the chance to spend the night in a hotel room and... _what_?"

Olivia rolled her eyes and gave Natalia a dirty look. "Had sex," she said, her voice dropping an octave. The combination of her tone, look and words made Natalia's stomach flip pleasantly. "I've never thought of women that way... until you. Well, not that I had a chance to think before you jumped me..." she trailed off with a smile on her lips.

Natalia's brows rose and she bit back a grin. "Are you implying that I took advantage of you?" she asked, putting on a huffy voice and crossing her arms before her. "Can I remind you that you were the one who picked me up."

Olivia smirked. "For company, Natalia. Not for sex."

Natalia thought back to their first night together and shook her head. "You got me so confused," she said ruefully. "I couldn't figure out what it was that you wanted from me."

"I was just thinking that earlier," Olivia said with a chuckle.

"I guess I did take advantage of you, then," Natalia said finally. She snuck a peek at Olivia and narrowed her eyes. "Have you really never been with a woman?"

Olivia snorted. "Women generally see me as a threat. And honestly, with all those men sniffing around me, I don't think I had time to see women in that light." Natalia met Olivia's eyes briefly. "I think you're the first woman who's ever looked at me that way. It felt..." Olivia thought for a moment and shrugged. "Don't get me wrong, I was flattered. But I didn't think I was interested."

"Look at you now," Natalia said, and couldn't help feeling a little smug.

Olivia sighed and shook her head. "Look at me now," she echoed, eliciting a smirk from Natalia. "So, how do you think your life would have turned out if your parents had supported you having Raphael?"

Natalia sobered up a little and looked out of the window at the passing traffic. "We were strict Catholics, so I can't imagine living guilt-free around them. I suppose I would constantly be reminded that I'd done something wrong... I'd probably have hung in there till I couldn't anymore, then... I don't know, maybe gone to look for Nicky? That's what I knew him as when he was a gawky teenage boy, by the way."

Olivia chuckled, remembering their conversation at the diner. "You would have come to Springfield?"

Natalia shrugged. "I guess... I mean, Raphael would have wanted to know his father."

"Then we might still have met," Olivia said, enjoying the randomness of their conversation. "Maybe at Company... or maybe you'd have come to look for work at the Beacon."

"If I did, I'd be friends with Greg and we would check you out every day-him for the fashion, and me..." Natalia trailed off, suddenly feeling a little embarrassed. She saw the amused look on Olivia's face and smacked her on her arm playfully. "Hey, maybe you'd check me out and fall in love with me from afar."

"_Yeah_," Olivia said, drawing out the word and making it obvious that she thought it was highly improbable. "Then again, I can totally imagine you in a maid's uniform. Or a skirt suit. Or... a bartender's outfit, with that cute vest and tie."

Natalia found a relaxed, playful Olivia very attractive. She couldn't believe that they were together, that Olivia loved her. A part of her wondered if there was a catch, if this would be taken away from her as well, like almost everything else in her life had been taken away from her. She pushed the dark thought out of her head and rambled on, wanting to distract herself. "People frequently have crushes on bartenders. You like to drink, so you'd frequent the Beacon bar. Maybe you'd have a crush on me first." At the raise of an elegant brow, Natalia rolled her eyes. "Fine. You'd be at the bar and _I'd_ have a crush on you, how about that?"

At Olivia's grudging nod, Natalia continued, tapping her lower lip with her index finger. "One night, you'd have a little too much to drink and I'd gather the courage to hit on you. You'd reciprocate, and we'd end up going back to your room."

"Then you'd leave in the morning and we'd never call each other again."

"What! No way. You'd totally crush on me too after that," Natalia said, sounding offended at the idea that Olivia wouldn't try to see her again after they had spent a night together. She smiled when Olivia laughed and reached over for her hand to thread their fingers together.

"Are you saying that no matter what, we'd still end up together?"

Natalia stroke Olivia's hand lightly with her thumb and smiled ruefully. "I'm just being silly. I'm a little nervous about meeting Emma." She looked out of the window and realised with a start that they had exited the highway and was driving through a quiet neighbourhood.

Olivia squeezed her hand lightly before pulling her hand away to turn into a driveway. "Emma's gonna love you. Look, there she is. My baby."

Olivia's voice was warm with love and coated with happiness and pride. Natalia looked out of the window and saw a young, slender girl running towards the car, her face alight with joy. A smiling man with unkempt shoulder length hair and a goatee followed closely behind her. Natalia took a deep breath and got out of the car.

**32**

Emma was the one permanent fixture in Olivia's volatile life. No matter what she was scheming to possess or avoid, no matter whom she was with or wanted to be with, Emma was the one thing she wouldn't compromise. Nothing had truly prepared her for the kind of love she felt for her younger daughter. Back when she had had Ava, she had been a child herself. Add that to the circumstances surrounding Ava's conception... it didn't mean that she loved Ava any less, just that there were a lot more conflicting emotions associated with Ava's birth.

"Mommy!"

Olivia closed her eyes when Emma leapt into her arms. She inhaled deeply, her face buried in her daughter's hair, breathing in the ever present sunshine and happiness on Emma's skin. "I missed you so much, baby..."

"I helped Uncle Sam make lunch..." Emma trailed off, looking over at Sam, then turned back to Olivia with a smile and corrected herself, "... _tea_ for you and Natalia, Mommy!"

Olivia looked over to Sam and Natalia at that, not missing the look of surprise that flitted across Natalia's face, presumably because Emma knew who she was. "Well, 'Bean, this is Natalia. Natalia, this is Emma," she said, introducing them formally. "And this scruffy looking man here is my brother, Sam." Olivia leaned into her brother's arms for a loose hug, but did not let go of Emma; she needed the contact with her daughter.

"Hi Natalia. Pleased to meet you," Sam said, stretching out a hand to clasp Natalia's warmly. "And welcome."

Olivia smiled when Emma went up to Natalia with an outstretched hand. Her smile widened when Natalia took it seriously in her own and gave it a good shake. "Hello Emma. I've heard so much about you," Natalia said, resting her hands on her thighs as she leaned forward, so that she was almost at face level with Emma.

"Me too! Mommy's been telling you about me, and me about you!" Emma said, giggling. She turned back to Olivia with a big smile, which Olivia mirrored. "Let's go eat, Mommy! I'm hungry!" She turned back to Natalia and peered up at her with large, hazel eyes. "Are you hungry too, Natalia? Did Mommy feed you?"

Olivia rolled her eyes, then narrowed them when Natalia shook her head sadly. "She tried, but I said I'd only eat with you." Olivia's lips twitched and exchanged a look with Sam when Emma, evidently won over by Natalia in those brief moments, grabbed Natalia's hand to pull her into the cottage.

"How'd you say you met her again, Sis?" Sam asked, draping an arm around Olivia as they followed Emma and Natalia into the house.

Olivia smirked. "I didn't."

"She's _hot_," Sam commented, then frowned at the look directed at him. "What? I'm a young, virile man who appreciates beautiful women."

"Well, looking's as far as you're gonna get, 'cos she's taken," Olivia said after Sam pulled the cottage door close behind them.

Sam sighed. "It figures. All the good ones are always taken. Emma talks about her. You two spend a lot of time together, huh. If I didn't know better, I'd think you two are going out," he said with a chuckle.

Olivia cleared her throat and was about to respond when Emma ran to them and urged them to go into the kitchen. "All right, baby. Let's see what you made for us!" Olivia said, wrapping an arm around Emma from behind. She lowered her head to plant a kiss on Emma's head, then followed her daughter into the kitchen.

Olivia had wanted to make dinner to celebrate Emma's homecoming but thanks to their various detours along the way here, Natalia didn't think they were going to make it back to Springfield in time for that. Wanting to give Olivia the opportunity to catch up with Sam before they left, Natalia had volunteered to do the dishes, refusing to take no as an answer. She didn't feel comfortable in family settings anyway, and she didn't want to feel like she was intruding-not that Sam and Emma had made her feel anything less than warmly welcomed.

She was completely charmed by Emma. She was everything that Olivia had said she was, and more. Vibrant, vivacious and naturally exuberant, it was hard to imagine anyone not taking an immediate liking to the girl. Many times during their meal, Natalia had found herself daydreaming about Olivia, Emma, Raphael and herself spending time together.

It was a lot like how she had felt that day after Olivia and she had had lunch at the gazebo: she really didn't want to think about the four of them together because she _really_ wanted them to be together. She knew that she was treading on dangerous grounds. A month ago, her world had consisted of just herself. Now, she had so many things to lose. She had been so caught up in the moment, in the lulling security of Olivia's embrace in the car today, that she had told Olivia that she loved her back.

The voice in her head seemed to skip like a scratched record at this point.

She had told Olivia that she loved her.

Her declaration had been independent of Olivia's-well, not entirely so, insofar as she wouldn't have said the words if Olivia hadn't said them first. But she hadn't said them out of obligation. She knew loved Olivia. But what exactly did that _mean_ for her?

"Hey."

Natalia almost dropped the plate in her hand when Olivia's voice sounded just behind her. She turned her head, then took in a breath and closed her eyes briefly when Olivia wrapped her arms around her waist and rested her chin on her shoulder. "You scared me," she whispered, but could not help the soft moan that escaped her at the soft, warm feel of Olivia.

When Olivia was around her like this, she couldn't think. When Olivia had her arms around her, she forgot to worry.

"I called out your name. What were you thinking about?" Olivia asked softly.

Natalia could hear the smile in her voice and her own lips quirked up in response. "You." Her smile deepened when she felt a kiss on the back of her neck. "Why aren't you out there talking to Sam? I'm almost done here."

"I want you out there with me. I wanna take Emma and you home, tuck her into bed, kiss her goodnight, and be with you."

A warm thrill started in her stomach at Olivia's simple words. She finished rinsing the last plate, stacked it on the drying rack, and unplugged the sink. Then she turned in the circle of Olivia's arms and rested her forearms on Olivia's shoulders, careful not to dampen Olivia's top with her wet hands. Olivia was beautiful. She wondered when looking at Olivia would stop taking her breath away, then wished that the day would never come. "That sounds really nice."

"Uh... Liv?"

Twin sets of eyes swivelled to a slightly blushing Sam who was standing at the entrance of the kitchen. Natalia slid her arms off of Olivia, but couldn't move anywhere as she was stuck between Olivia and the sink. Olivia, on the other hand, kept one arm around Natalia as she shifted to face her brother. "Yeah?"

"Uh... never mind. I forgot what I... never mind," Sam mumbled and left the kitchen.

Natalia caught Olivia's eyes and smirked, feeling a little self-conscious. "Shall we go?"

Olivia returned her smirk with one of her own. "Sure. Now that we've given him something to think about all night."

Natalia looked scandalised. "Olivia!"

Olivia chuckled. "What? He's a man! I know how they think."

Natalia shook her head, as though trying to dislodge a bad thought. "This is wrong on _so_ many levels," she mumbled under her breath. Olivia chuckled and pulled Natalia to her for a quick kiss before they exited the kitchen.

**33**

The journey back to Springfield felt a lot quicker than the drive to Chicago. To Olivia's surprise, Natalia had volunteered to drive. Olivia was well aware of and appreciated all of Natalia's little considerations, from ordering up breakfast and coffee for her before leaving the hotel room in Chicago, to offering to do the dishes at Sam's so she had time to hang out with her brother, and driving them home so that Olivia could relax and focus her attention on Emma after being apart from her daughter for so long. It touched her more than expensive gifts and fancy dinners ever could.

"Are you tired? Do you want me to take over?" Olivia asked after Emma drifted off to sleep in the backseat.

Emma had been talking non-stop about what Sam and she had been doing over the last few weeks and Olivia could hear that Emma had had a lot of fun. But while she was happy that Emma had enjoyed herself, she was glad that her daughter was now back by her side, where she belonged... for another eleven years, at least.

"That's okay. There's not long more to go," Natalia said, flashing Olivia a quick smile.

Olivia decided that she liked watching Natalia drive. There was something about Natalia's look of concentration that appealed to her. Natalia's left elbow was propped against the car door and her index and middle fingers were splayed across her lips, while her right hand rested comfortably on the steering wheel. Natalia looked relaxed, confident and in control of the vehicle-an incredibly sexy look, in Olivia's opinion.

It felt slightly crazy, the way she felt about Natalia, but she had always been one who dived into the deep end when it came to relationships. She couldn't seem to get enough of Natalia; the more she had of her, the more she _craved_ of her. She had a sneaking suspicion that Natalia could be doing something as mundane as, say, ironing, and still manage to mesmerise her. She recalled the little jolt of happiness she had experienced earlier when she had gone into Sam's kitchen and had seen Natalia at the sink, up to her elbows with soapy water.

Crazy didn't even begin to cover it, she thought wryly.

After a time, Olivia looked out of the car window and saw that they were on Main Street. "I'll be two seconds," Natalia said when she pulled up outside of Company. Olivia followed Natalia's trek into the building with her eyes, blew out a rather contented breath, then turned around to smile at a rousing Emma.

"Are we there yet, Mommy?" Emma mumbled blearily.

"Not yet, baby. Natalia's just gone to grab some of her stuff so she can stay over at the Beacon with us." Emma had been so excited when she found out that she was going to spend more time with Natalia; her youthful enthusiasm had caused Olivia's chest to expand with love.

"Yay, sleepover," Emma cheered under her breath as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

Olivia chewed on her lower lip, trying to bite back a grin at the cute picture her daughter painted. "'Bean, you like Natalia, right?"

Emma nodded, then perked up suddenly, as though she had just recalled something important. "We're watching Harry Potter?" she asked excitedly.

"We can watch anything you want, baby," Olivia said, then added, "Anything that's suitable for your age, that is." Before Emma could respond, however, her cell went off. "Sorry baby, it's Natalia. I'm just gonna see what she wants, okay?"

Olivia answered the call, listened for a moment, then frowned. She told Natalia that she was coming up, snapped her cell shut and stuffed it back into her pocket. "Hey Jellybean, shall we go keep Natalia company for a bit?" she asked lightly.

"'Kay! Can I get a chocolate milkshake after?" Emma asked as she unbuckled her seatbelt.

Olivia opened the door for Emma and pretended to consider her request. "Maybe, if you're super, super good and make Natalia smile. Someone just made her unhappy." She should have known that reality would find a way to remind them that it wasn't always friendly.

"Who did, Mommy? That's mean," Emma said with a frown as they made their way up the stairs.

Olivia nodded. "Someone not very nice, 'Bean. But it's okay, because she's got us to cheer her up, right?" she said, smiling faintly at Emma's vehement nod.

Emma's presence had always been a beacon of light in her life. With her around, Olivia found it hard to find anything bleak and dreary. She hoped that the same could be true for Natalia; but more than that, she hoped that Robert could give her something to use against Mallet because he was starting to feel like a _spectacular_ pain in her behind.

Natalia went to the door when she heard the tentative knock. She pasted a smile on her face for Olivia and Emma, but inside, her stomach was churning. Mallet had left a bouquet of newly bloomed yellow roses and a card on her bed, signed off as Tony C., asking her to meet him at an Italian restaurant, Saputo's, for dinner the next day. She didn't know how long he had stayed in her room, or if he had gone through her things-just the thought of him being in her space made her feel a little sick.

Privacy wasn't something she had much of in her life. Her apartment in Chicago had been a step up from crowded share apartments, homeless shelters, and the streets-but even so, a few of the other girls would still drop by unannounced if they had needed a place to crash. This room at the boarding house wasn't much but it was probably the first place she had ever rented that was solely hers. She didn't have much, but what little she did have, she guarded fiercely. And she was outraged at having her privacy invaded _again_.

"What are you girls doing up here?" Natalia asked distractedly. She was in the middle of throwing everything that she owned in her bag. She didn't have a plan; she just knew that she didn't want to continue renting this room any longer.

"Emma and I thought we'd keep you company for a bit," Olivia said, sweeping her gaze around the room and frowning when she saw the bouquet of flowers on Natalia's bed. "You know you can stay at the Beacon for as long as you want, right?"

"I..." Natalia started to say, then shook her head. "I can't afford to stay at the Beacon, Olivia," she said, her brows furrowed. She raked a frustrated hand through her hair. "I know you don't need my money, but I'm not gonna stay somewhere that I can't afford."

Natalia knew she sounded a little short but she couldn't help it. She tried to concentrate on what she was doing, stuffing her clothes into her bag with more force than necessary. She looked up when Emma brought over a stack of books in a bid to help out with her packing, and she suddenly felt contrite.

"Thanks, sweetie," Natalia said, and reached over to lightly ruffle Emma's hair. She took a breath and turned back to Olivia, feeling a little bad about lashing out. She knew that Olivia was only trying to help. "Sorry, I... Can we talk about this at your place?" she asked softly. "I just wanna get outta here."

"Of course," Olivia said. Natalia responded with a grateful smile when Olivia came to stand behind Emma and circled the girl's shoulders with her arms. "Emma and I can wait for you in Company if you want," Olivia offered.

Natalia shook her head and touched a hand to her temple absently. "No, no. Please. Stay. I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to be sorry about, Natalia. We'll deal with this together, okay?"

At that, Natalia saw Emma look from Olivia to her, and swore she saw a lightbulb go off in the girl's head. "We can be like Ron, Hermione and Harry!" Emma said excitedly. Utterly confused, Natalia frowned and directed a questioning gaze to Olivia.

"Natalia's never watched Harry Potter, 'Bean," Olivia said, smiling down at her daughter.

"Never, _ever_?" Emma asked, her eyes wide.

Natalia couldn't help the chuckle that escaped her at the look of disbelief on Emma's face. "Never ever," she affirmed, shaking her head. "You wanna tell me about it while I finish packing?" She gave Emma a warm smile when she began a lengthy introduction of the characters from Harry Potter. Her eyes met Olivia's over Emma's head and they shared a smile.

The heaviness in Natalia's chest dissipated.

Natalia found herself enjoying the first instalment of the Harry Potter movies. She traced the Silly Band around her wrist with a finger and smiled faintly to herself at the thought of Raphael; she finally knew who Hagrid was.

Emma had started out sitting on the couch between Olivia and Natalia. But as the movie progressed, she had migrated to the floor in front of the couch. Natalia reached out playfully to grab a swaying foot, and chuckled when Emma whipped her head around with a short exclamation. She felt a lot more relaxed now that she was away from the boarding house and Company.

"You like?"

Olivia's voice was soft and scratchy against her ear, sending a slight shiver down her body. "The movie? Or being with you and Emma?" Natalia asked playfully, careful to keep her voice low. She directed an affectionate look Emma's way when she heard her giggle at the television.

Olivia smirked. "Both."

Natalia threaded their fingers together and let out a sigh. "Very much so. The only thing that could make this better is if Rafe was here too," she said wistfully.

"That can be arranged quite easily," Olivia said, looking at her. "For another time."

Natalia pressed her lips against Olivia's shoulder and smiled. Then her expression turned contrite when she recalled her behaviour earlier. "I'm sorry... about earlier. I know you were just trying to help. I didn't mean to bite your head off."

Olivia shook her head. "You didn't."

Natalia forged on, feeling a little like she owed Olivia some kind of explanation. "The day I left your hotel room in Chicago, I went home and realised that my ex had gone into my apartment and stolen from me," she said. "I just felt so angry and... violated that someone had broken into my place again. But I shouldn't have taken it out on you." She leaned her head against Olivia's shoulder when Olivia didn't reply, and returned her attention to the movie.

After a time, Natalia felt Olivia shift and looked up. Her heart flipped in her chest at the serious look on Olivia's face. "I promise you, I will never disrespect you that way."

Natalia wasn't even aware that she had needed to hear those words until Olivia had said them. She nodded, then whispered, "I know."

Olivia wasn't finished. "And I promise you," she continued in the same quiet tone, "I will do everything in my power to make sure that Mallet _pays_."

And Natalia knew, without a doubt, that Olivia meant what she said.

**34**

When Natalia used to live with roommates, she would frequently escape to cafs with a good book so that she could have some alone time. Even when she had her own place, it was still nice to get out of her apartment once in a while and lose herself in the anonymity that Chicago city provided.

It had been a while since she last did that, what with leaving Chicago and adjusting to living in Springfield, so it was with a slight spring in her step that she walked down Grand Avenue, in search of a nice spot to spend her morning at. Even though she was well aware that she was currently homeless and had somehow acquired a stalker, waking up with Olivia in her arms and being surprised by a ball of energy named Emma jumping on Olivia's bed made her worries fade to the background.

Natalia hadn't had the chance to be around children. What she felt for Emma came instinctively; there was absolutely nothing to not love about her. It made her yearn for the opportunity to spend more time with Raphael on a regular basis. She planned to speak to Gus about the possibility of such an arrangement; she didn't want to disrupt Raphael's life more than she had to.

Spying a small, out-of-the-way caf, Natalia entered it. She looked around, found an empty seat beside a large panelled window that afforded her a view of the street, and sat herself down. After placing her order for a mug of hot chocolate, Natalia flipped open her book but quickly found herself distracted by her thoughts. So she stared unseeingly at the small prints on the book pages while her mind wandered.

Olivia and Emma were spending the day together at the shops. Even though she had been tempted to join them, she knew herself. She needed some time on her own to take a breather and assess her situation; otherwise, she knew she would crash along the way and she didn't want that to happen.

Natalia realised that she had to learn how to be in a relationship with someone who had a child. She hadn't known how to act when Emma had burst into Olivia's room that morning. Thankfully, they had been clothed. She had followed Olivia's lead and had welcomed Emma into their embrace.

Natalia smiled at the memory of Olivia planting a sleepy kiss on Emma's forehead before encouraging her to pass it on. Emma had giggled and had raised her head to kiss Natalia's chin. Natalia, in turn, had leaned back down to kiss Olivia. Natalia sighed when she recalled the way Olivia's eyes had met hers the moment before Olivia had lifted her face to receive the kiss on her lips.

Natalia didn't think that there had ever been another moment in her life quite like that, where she felt completely and utterly a part of something.

Emma had accepted their behaviour without question. Natalia imagined being this way with Olivia around Raphael and decided that she couldn't wait for the day to come. She glanced at the time and pulled out her cell. After a quick conversation with Gus, who promised to call her back after speaking to Harley, Natalia blew out a breath and turned her attention to the other thoughts waiting in the shadowed background of her mind.

Mallet, or Tony Camaletti, was quite the menace looming over her otherwise placid life. She tried to push away her feelings of resentment and anger, and recall the things he had told her on the off chance that there was something in there she could use in her favour. She considered going to the police about Mallet but past experiences had taught her that they were more likely to side with one of their own. She wondered if she could talk to Gus about Mallet, then feared the possibility that Gus might reconsider letting Raphael see her when he was reminded of her rather recent past. She didn't want to take any chances, not when she had so much to lose.

Mallet had mentioned the name 'Vizzini' several times. Natalia touched a finger to the rim of her mug as she thought back to what he had said about it: he was going to look for her when he got out of this mess with Vizzini.

That meant he _wasn't_ out of this mess with Vizzini.

"Hey Natalia!"

Natalia snapped her head around, recognised Greg's boyfriend with surprise, and smiled. "Hey Paul, what a coincidence!"

"Yeah, I sent Greg to work and thought I'd hang out instead of going home and wasting a perfectly good Sunday." Paul paused for a moment. "Do you want company? I could leave you to your book; you looked like you were thinking about something..."

Natalia shook her head with a half smile, revealing a dimple. "I'd love some company." She had gotten along really well with Paul and Greg at Buddha Bar. Even though Paul was doing rather well managing the newly opened bar, he didn't put on any airs. Natalia found him to be warm and genuine, a good match for Greg's flamboyant charm.

"Enjoying your day off?" Paul asked, pulling up a chair next to Natalia. "Is Ms. Spencer at work?" He chuckled before Natalia could respond, and shook his head. "Sorry, that must sound really funny to you, but Greg refuses to refer to her as anything but Ms. Spencer, so..."

Natalia snorted. "Greg is awesome. No, actually, Olivia's out shopping with her daughter. I have to go to work in a few hours."

"Right. You work at Company, right?" At Natalia's answering nod, Paul asked, "How do you like it there?"

Natalia shrugged. "It's work," she said diplomatically. "Buzz is a great boss. The pay could be better, but that's how it is in the hospitality industry, I guess."

Paul nodded. "Well, Buddha Bar is looking for service staff, if you're interested. I'm sure we pay a lot better. And the tips would be so much better. Do you have any bartending experience?"

Natalia blinked. "Um. Yeah, I did a bit of bartending here and there," she said haltingly.

Paul shrugged. "Sounds good. Wanna come in for a trial? I'm at work from 1 every day this week."

Natalia blinked again. "Wow. Really? Yes! I mean, I might have to talk to Buzz and give him notice but yes, I'm definitely interested. I have Thursday off. I could come in then for a trial..."

"Great! Now that I've poached you from Company, I feel like I deserve a brownie. Would you like one too? My treat," Paul said, cocking his head in question. Paul wasn't half as flamboyant as Greg was, but a few of his mannerisms clued people to his sexuality if they knew to see them, and this was one of them.

Natalia grinned. "Sure! Thanks, Paul. I really appreciate that."

Paul chuckled. "Anything else I can help you with? I have great discounts with furniture and home appliance stores..." he joked.

Natalia shook her head, smiling sweetly. "Thanks, but you need a room before you can have furniture and appliances. I just moved out of the boarding house and I'm looking for a room to rent," she said with a slight frown at the thought of room hunting.

Paul lifted a brow. "I think I might be your fairy godmother today, excuse the pun." Natalia smirked. "My housemate's moving in with her boyfriend in few weeks. Greg and I are not ready to live together, and even though I can afford the place on my own, I really like having another person around the flat-that is, when I'm around. I'm not really around all that much."

"I..." Natalia shook her head in disbelief at her luck, then told herself to not get too excited. Paul looked like he lived somewhere nice; chances are, she wouldn't be able to afford the rent. "How much is the rent?"

"How much were you paying for that room at the boarding house?" Natalia stared at Paul incredulously. "What? I like you! And so does Greg. I'm a little particular about cleanliness around the shared areas of the flat... okay, I'm a _lot_ particular... so it's not like it'll be easy living with me."

Natalia let out a short bark of laughter. "Is that it? Sign me up!"

Paul laughed, sounding equally delighted. "Dope! Well I'll let you know when the room's free. You'll be all right till then?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm staying with Olivia..." Natalia said, her voice turning warm at the mention of Olivia.

Paul shook his head. "You know, even from what Greg's told me about Ms. Spencer, nothing could have prepared me for the real thing. She's just so..." he trailed off, gesticulating with his hands as he spoke. "... she has this _presence_ about her, you know?"

Natalia nodded with what she was sure looked to be a silly smile on her face. "She is pretty amazing."

Paul sucked in a breath. "Sexy, commanding, intelligent..."

Natalia laughed. "You sound like you might be in love with her," she teased.

Paul giggled. "I _might_ have a tiny crush on her," he said coquettishly, holding his index finger and thumb just slightly apart. "Greg is in awe of her."

Natalia sighed dreamily. "I am pretty lucky," she said, calling up the image of Olivia's laughing face rather easily.

"She didn't do too badly herself either, I think!" Paul said, making Natalia lower her head and blush. She bumped his shoulder with her own in comfortable comradarie.

"I think _I_ should treat you to that brownie, Paul," Natalia said finally. "How about another coffee as well?"

She laughed at Paul's look of uncontained glee. Even if everything they had spoken about didn't come to fruition, Natalia was happy to enjoy this moment of lighthearted hopefulness.

**35**

Natalia slowed her steps and came to a halt in front of Blake at the counter. One of her hands was holding onto the bag strap that was slung around her shoulder and across her chest, while the other was digging into her pocket for the key to the room at the boarding house.

"Hey Natalia, here for dinner?" Blake greeted her cheerily.

Natalia frowned. "No, I'm on tonight, aren't I?" she asked.

Blake went over to where the roster was, then shook her head. "No... Oh, didn't Marina call you to let you know about the change in roster? You're off tonight and on tomorrow morning instead." Blake grimaced a little as she turned back to Natalia. "Sorry, sweetie."

Natalia shook her head. "It's fine. Is Buzz in the kitchen?"

At Blake's nod, Natalia made her way to the kitchen and saw Buzz looking worriedly at Marina, who was dabbing at her red-rimmed eyes with a tissue. She tried not to think anything of what she was seeing but she had a feeling that Mallet had said something to Marina. A sickening feeling developed in the pit of her stomach and she hurried out of the kitchen before her presence was made known. She could talk to Buzz during her shift the next day. Not pausing to spare Blake a look goodbye, Natalia made her way out of Company, and fervently hoped that she would get the job at Buddha Bar. She didn't want to know what had caused Marina to cry. She didn't want to feel remotely responsible for anyone else's unhappiness.

Exiting Company, Natalia briefly wished that she had a car. As if on cue, one pulled up beside her. Natalia flinched at the familiar set up and spun on her heels, wanting to get on a bus and back to Olivia as quickly as possible. She stopped in her tracks when she heard a boyish voice calling out her name.

"Rafe!" The smile that engulfed her face turned her stiff expression into one that was open and warm. She looked behind the boy and saw Gus, Harley, and two other boys stepping out of the car. Natalia's smile faded but didn't go away entirely. "It's so good to see you," she said. It occurred to her that she felt closer to and more comfortable around Emma than her own son, and something twisted in her chest.

"Natalia, this is my wife, Harley. Harley, I've told you about Natalia," Gus said, looking from Natalia to Harley, then back to Natalia with a faint smile and nod.

Natalia flashed a small, polite smile towards the woman standing beside Gus as she reached a hand out nervously. Harley looked guarded and critical; Natalia felt lacking and self-conscious. The chilly smile that Harley gave her made her worry at her lower lip.

"Dad said you called today," Raphael said, causing Natalia to shift her attention back to him.

She smiled again at him and reached out to muss his dark, curly hair affectionately. "I did. I wanted to see if maybe we could hang out some time this week."

"Can we, Dad?" Raphael asked eagerly, looking around at Gus.

Natalia noticed Harley breathing out in a rather impatient manner and quickly said in deference, "I shouldn't keep you guys. Raphael, your Mom and Dad have to discuss when's a good time for us to hang out, okay?"

"Natalia's right, Rafe," Gus said, giving her a grateful look. "Thanks, Natalia. I'll give you a call soon okay?" Harley and the other two boys had already started walking away from the car.

"Okay. Bye then," Raphael said, giving Natalia a small wave.

"Wait," Natalia said, halting the boy, who was about to bolt after his brothers. He looked at her curiously. "I just watched Harry Potter with Olivia and Emma," she said, twisting the Silly Band that he had given her between her fingers absently. It was such a pleasant surprise to see him, and she wanted to prolong their interaction for a little while longer. "I just wanted to see if you and I will want to belong in the same Hogwarts house."

Raphael's eyes lit up. "Cool! Which one do you like, then?"

Natalia wetted her lips with her tongue and gave Gus a quick glance. To her relief, he was looking at them with interest and didn't seem too impatient to get going now that Harley and the other boys were no longer in sight. "I think Ravenclaw."

Raphael cocked his head slightly. "Cool, like Cho Chang. She's pretty too," he said with a smile. "I like the Slytherin house," he said in a lowered, rather conspiratorial tone of voice, much like the one he had used when they had first met, when he was warning her against getting cheese touched by Sean. She felt an incredible swelling of an aching emotion in her chest, one that she was beginning to associate with being around her son.

Natalia smiled a little sadly after Gus and Raphael as they disappeared into Company. Then she took a deep breath and made her way to the bus stop, pulling out her cell to call Olivia to see if she could join her and Emma, wherever they were.

Olivia had to wake Emma up when they reached the Beacon. They had spent the day at the mall shopping and eating, and had gone and watched Megamind to end their big day out. It was of little wonder that Emma was exhausted. Olivia smiled indulgently at her daughter as she scrambled out of the car. She would have to remember to get someone from the concierge to bring their shopping bags up to the room.

She had casually brought up the topic of her relationship with Natalia while they were having lunch. Emma had always been an open, resilient child, so Olivia hadn't thought to censor the way she behaved around Natalia in front of Emma. She was happy with Emma's positive response towards Natalia; what she wanted to prepare her daughter for was the possiblity of other people's reactions to their relationship.

Tolerance was something that parents taught to their children. Emma had been confused as to why anyone would have a problem with two people being together, and at Olivia's explanation that some people were afraid of anything that was different.

_"But it's so boring when everyone's exactly the same."_

_"Well, 'Bean, you are definitely one of the least boring people I know... and I know many people."_

And it was the truth. Emma was seven, but she was already one of the most interesting characters Olivia had the pleasure of knowing. She smiled when Emma burrowed her face in her chest, and steered them towards their suite. "Almost there, baby," she murmured softly as she rummaged around her purse for her key card.

To her surprise, the suite was occupied. Olivia caught sight of Natalia, who had turned to look at her from her seat on the couch, and smiled. "Hey," she greeted softly. "I thought you had to be at work?" She looked down at Emma, then looked back up at Natalia with an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I gotta get Emma to bed first."

"Do you want any help?"

Olivia shook her head and heaved Emma up in her arms. She kissed her daughter's head when she felt trusting arms circle her neck. "I'll be back," she whispered, then smiled when Natalia blew her a kiss and watched her go into Emma's room with a dimpled smile.

It felt like coming home, Olivia realised with a start. She tried to think back to the last time she had felt this way about anyone and couldn't. It had probably been way too long.

It took her about ten minutes to get Emma to brush her teeth, change into her pyjamas, and climb into bed. Then it took her another five to make sure that Emma had fallen back to sleep. When she went back out to where Natalia was, she was pleased to find a glass of red wine waiting for her on the coffee table. She sank into the couch beside Natalia with a sigh and brought her legs up under her.

"Hey."

She watched Natalia put her book down and shifted closer to her, so that they were facing each other, with one arm resting on the back of the couch and their knees touching. All the lights were dimmed, safe for the one beside Natalia; faint shadows danced across Natalia's face when she moved. "Did you get off work early?"

"No, they changed my shift but forgot to tell me," Natalia said. "I tried calling you but your phone wasn't turned on, so I came back here."

Olivia's brows rose. "Oh, sorry! Emma and I were in the movie theatre and I had my phone switched off..."

Natalia shook her head with a smile. "That's okay, you don't have to explain. Did you have a good day?"

Olivia nodded and sipped at her wine. "Mm hm. We went on a shopping spree," she said with a chuckle. At Natalia's confused look, she explained, "Everything's still in the car. I'll get someone to bring them up tomorrow." She set down her glass of wine and reached for Natalia's hand, smiling when Natalia turned her palm up to loosely tangle their fingers together. "How was your day?"

"Good. I found this nice caf on Grand Avenue. I'll take you there one day. I bumped into Paul there. We spent a few hours there chatting." Olivia let Natalia's voice wash over her, enjoying its dulcet tone. She liked the way Natalia looked and sounded when she talked-soft, warm and beautiful, kind of like the swirly folds of drizzled melted chocolate. "I'm going on a work trial at Buddha Bar on Thursday. Paul said his roomie's moving out soon. He suggested that I rent her room."

Olivia lifted a brow. "Wow, that's a productive day."

Natalia chuckled self-deprecatingly. "I thought so too. Would you... Paul says we should find a day for us to have dinner at his place, so that I can check it out. Would you and Emma want to come along?"

"Mm hm." Olivia thought she would do anything Natalia asked of her. She sighed when Natalia stroked her forearm softly and absently. After a long while, she murmured, "I like the way you touch me."

"I like touching you," Natalia replied in an equally quiet voice, as though anything louder would shatter the little bubble around them.

Olivia brought a hand up to touch Natalia's cheek. "I think you're beautiful." She smiled deeply when Natalia ducked her head and blushed. Then she shifted closer to Natalia and kissed the spot that her fingers just caressed. Her insides warmed when Natalia turned her face slightly to brush her lips against hers. It was crazy how she reacted to the slightest touch from Natalia, and how Natalia could make her feel like no one else existed outside of them.

Slow, lingering kisses caused the warmth in her stomach to fan out. Olivia cupped Natalia's cheek with one hand and parted her lips. The teasing, fleeting touch of Natalia's tongue made her head swim. She reached out with her other hand to pull Natalia closer to her, not satisfied until Natalia was sitting on her lap. Dark tresses enveloped their faces, blocking out the bit of light in the room. Olivia sighed when their eyes met.

"You make me so happy."

Olivia's heart flipped in her chest at Natalia's words. She slid her palms up and down Natalia's back, then slipped them under Natalia's loose top to slide across warm flesh. "It's crazy how I want you so bad, all the time," she said huskily.

Natalia smiled shyly. "It's not crazy... not really, not when I feel the same."

Their lips touched again and Olivia lost herself in the kiss, intoxicated by the way her passion was reciprocated. She hadn't known many perfect moments in her life, but this-having Natalia look at her with the same intensity that she felt in her chest, and returning her kisses with the same ardour-this had to be one of them.

**36**

Natalia wasn't sure what woke her, but she was up and her heart was racing in an unsettled, panicky manner. She forced her eyes open and assessed her surroundings, only slightly comforted to find Olivia's arm around her middle. She lifted Olivia's limp hand to her lips absently and softly brushed her lips against it. Then she took a breath to settle herself. Just when she began to drift back to sleep, she heard it: a tiny beep she recognised emanating from her cell to notify her of missed calls or unread text messages. Natalia frowned in the dark.

One of the two people whom she looked forward to hearing from was lying next to her, asleep. She didn't think that Gus would contact her at this hour to talk about Raphael, but it was a possibility. Careful not to stir Olivia from her slumber, Natalia gently shifted Olivia's arm and slipped out of bed. Either way, she wouldn't be able to sleep with the annoying beep sounding every few minutes. She tried to recall where she had left her cell, went to get it, and frowned even deeper when she saw the number of missed calls and unread text messages reflected on the cell screen.

Natalia stood by the dresser in the room as she scrolled through her cell, grimacing when she realised that the multiple phone calls and text messages from an unknown number were made by Mallet. She wasn't sure how he had gotten her cell number but figured that it wouldn't be hard at all, as Buzz had a record of it.

"Everything okay?"

Natalia jumped a little and spun around with a hand on her throat. "Sorry, did I wake you?" She could just make out Olivia on the bed, propped up on an elbow, looking at her with sleepy eyes and mussed up hair.

"No... I'm not sure what did. It's okay."

Natalia switched her cell off and padded back to the bed. "Go back to sleep. It's late," she said softly as she climbed into bed. She wrapped her arms around Olivia and buried her nose in her hair for the duration of a deep breath. She tried her best to shut out thoughts of Mallet, feelings of unease and forebodance.

"Is everything okay?"

Olivia sounded sleepy but concerned to a troubled Natalia. "It's Mallet," she revealed softly. "He got hold of my number somehow..." Olivia shifted in her arms and Natalia waited for her to fully face her before resting her hand on the gentle swell of Olivia's hip. "In his note with the flowers, he invited me to dinner. He must have checked my roster and knew that I didn't have to go in to work tonight... last night... even before _I_ did." She sighed in frustration.

After a while, Olivia said, "I think you should tell Buzz."

Natalia frowned. "I don't know. I don't really wanna involve anyone else in this..." she trailed off before blowing out a breath. She closed her eyes briefly when she felt Olivia's hand stroking her cheek softly. "I'm sorry you have to be..."

"Hey, don't be silly. It's not like you advertised for a stalker and Mallet replied." Natalia had to snort at Olivia's attempt at humour. Smiling, she rubbed her nose against Olivia's. "But seriously, can I say... as your girlfriend, I don't particularly want you to go back to Company to work at all anymore. I think you should talk to Buzz. Tell him what happened. I'm pretty sure he'd understand. If he doesn't, well... tough luck."

Natalia thought for a long moment. "Tell Buzz that Mallet's a creepy stalker?" she asked doubtfully. "He's Marina's fianc. I'd really prefer to not disrupt that arrangement, although..." she trailed off, recalling a crying Marina at Company earlier that evening.

"What?"

Natalia rubbed her nose ruefully. "I saw her earlier at Company. She looked like she was crying. I'm not sure what about though..."

"Natalia, is Mallet making you uncomfortable?" Olivia asked simply.

Natalia nodded slowly. "Mm hm."

"Good, because he's making me uncomfortable too. You really shouldn't concern yourself with what's going on with Marina. Or Buzz, for that matter. If you don't feel safe working at Company, where Mallet obviously has access to, then you should go."

"Just like that?"

Olivia nodded. "Just like that."

Olivia made complete sense, as usual. Her simple, no-nonsense approach gave Natalia the boost that she needed to immediately carry out what she would have taken days, if not weeks, to do.

"And I was thinking... I'm not sure, it's just an idea so just hear me out..." Olivia said haltingly. Then she seemed to collect her thoughts and said, "I'm gonna need more help at the Beacon now that Emma's back. She has a nanny of sorts but I've been thinking... I want to make more time for her. Also, I'm thinking of making some changes at the Beacon. I might start giving Greg more responsibilities so I can concentrate on some of the things I have in mind. Would you be interested in helping out? I mean, as Greg's assistant, so that he can assist _me_ better..."

Natalia frowned. "I don't have any relevant experience..." she said slowly.

"Yes you do," Olivia said immediately. "I mean, you're naturally sensitive to people's needs and you seem to read people well. You present yourself well, you think rationally in a crisis, and you adapt quickly. These are all traits that are highly prized as an assistant. You can learn the technical skills as you go along. Moreover, Greg and you seem to like each other." Olivia paused, then shrugged. "It's just a suggestion. I know you have a work trial to go to at Buddha Bar, but there's no harm trying this out either. You won't be working directly under me so there won't be any conflicts of interest, and your work performance would be judged by Greg, not me, so it won't be biased."

Natalia fell silent, not really sure how to respond or how she _wanted_ to respond.

"Natalia, I'll be honest. I probably wouldn't offer you this opportunity if you weren't my girlfriend, but I _definitely_ wouldn't offer you this opportunity if I didn't think you could do it, girlfriend or not."

Natalia shut her eyes, dovetailed their legs together, and pulled Olivia close for a tight full body hug. "Thank you. I need to think about it, but... thank you."

"I'm thinking for myself as much as I'm thinking for you, you know that, right?" Olivia asked breathily in her ear. "I wouldn't ask to hire someone whom I thought wouldn't be good for my business, and if you haven't heard from Greg, I'm a regular slave driver. Take that into consideration before you say yes."

Natalia pulled her face back and smoothed Olivia's hair back. She smiled crookedly and dropped her voice when she spoke. "There's nothing _regular_ about you, Olivia." She caught Olivia's lower lip between her teeth and bit down on it gently, smiling when she heard Olivia's gasp of surprise. "And I don't think I've told you this but... it feels really good to hear you call me your girlfriend."

"Huh. I'll keep that in mind."

Natalia could hear the smile in Olivia's voice, that had matched her drop in octave and decibel. She felt a shiver of thrill go through her body and leaned in to kiss Olivia's lips. Under the covers, she pulled Olivia's pelvis against her own and moaned softly in the back of her throat. Then she slid her palm to cup and squeeze Olivia's butt cheek, sighing when she heard Olivia whimper and hook her leg around her middle. "You know it's late, right?" she asked breathlessly. She could feel Olivia's heated centre against her thigh and it was distracting her. Her eyes fell shut briefly when Olivia wiggled her hips.

"_Never_ too late for this."

Natalia rolled Olivia onto her back and pushed her hair back from her face. "Slave driver, huh," she teased, her voice laced with lust and affection for the woman under her. She pushed her thigh against Olivia's centre, enjoying the soft moan that escaped full lips.

"Oh, I'm versatile. Sometimes I like being driven," Olivia murmured, her eyes slitted.

Natalia felt Olivia's arms snake around her neck and lowered her face for a kiss. She could kiss Olivia forever, she thought, and still not get sick of her taste and texture, breathy sighs and scratchy moans. She rubbed her breasts against Olivia's and bit back a groan at the soft friction between them. Then she felt Olivia grab hold of her ass, and gasped when Olivia tilted her face and pushed her up simultaneously to catch hold of a breast with her mouth. Natalia shifted herself abruptly to straddle Olivia's stomach, then sat herself up briefly to pull her sleeping shirt off, humming in appreciation when eager hands found her naked breasts. She covered Olivia's hands with her own and encouraged Olivia to handle her roughly.

"You drive me insane," Olivia growled from under Natalia.

Natalia looked down to see Olivia twisting herself to reach her body with her mouth. Then she moaned when she felt Olivia's teeth and tongue scrape and burn a hot trail up her thigh. Natalia got off Olivia's stomach and felt herself being steered onto her knees. Her head snapped back and her eyes fell shut when Olivia roughly pulled her underwear off and sank her teeth into her butt cheek.

Her centre felt damp and wanting, and she swayed her hips lightly. She rested her face and forearms on a pillow, feeling exposed but wanton at the same time. She moaned into the pillow when she felt Olivia's teeth and tongue across her butt cheek, inching closer to her centre. The anticipation alone was enough to throw her over the edge. "Please... Olivia..."

"Please what?" Olivia asked, her voice barely a whisper.

Natalia whimpered, no longer sure how she had gotten from being the aggressor to the one on her knees, begging for release. "I need your mouth... on me." Then she threw Olivia a look over her shoulder. "And I want to taste you too."

She swore the temperature in the room spiked up considerably at her words. Natalia watched Olivia strip and had just rolled onto her back when she felt Olivia filling her up and thumbing her centre in one swift motion. "Olivia, _fuck_..." she gasped, her eyes falling shut and her hips moving against Olivia of their own accord.

"Sorry, I needed to do that," Olivia rasped into her ear, breathing heavily against her neck as she licked, sucked and nibbled away. "I want to be in you. You feel so good, Natalia. So smooth... wet... hot... I want all of you..."

Natalia whimpered at Olivia's words and ministrations. She slid her hands up and down Olivia's back frantically, then curved her fingers and dug them into Olivia's flesh, dragging them down her back and hearing Olivia hiss. "Give me all of _you_..." She lifted her hips off the bed and met Olivia's eyes. "More, Olivia," she demanded, arching her back and closing her eyes briefly every time she felt more of Olivia in her. Then she bit down softly on Olivia's neck.

"Will I hurt you?"

Natalia let out a breathless smile and shook her head. "No." Her forehead and body were damp with perspiration, as was Olivia's. She pushed Olivia's hair behind her ear and crushed their lips together. "Give me," she said again, then gasped and arched her back when Olivia adhered to her request. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head; she was so full of Olivia she thought she would break.

Then she loosened her muscles and moaned loudly when Olivia, upon seeing that she was all right, pulled out of her a little, then slid herself back in fully. "Oh... _God_..." She blindly reached for Olivia's wrist and caressed it. Her already overloaded senses careened out of control when she felt Olivia's fist rotate, both inside of her and from the tightening of Olivia's wrist muscles under her hand. The last thing she could remember before being engulfed by waves of pleasure was the feel of Olivia's soft breath and kiss on her cheek.


	8. Chapters 37 to 42

**Warnings and Disclaimers**: This AU story contains adult themes and language, and deals with the sex industry, which might not be to everyone's taste, so please do NOT proceed if you are not of age or if any of that might offend you. It is rated **NC-17**.

All characters from Guiding Light do not belong to me. All the other characters do, however, so please leave them alone. This story is set in an alternate universe, where Natalia Rivera's history and timeline are greatly altered. Most of Olivia Spencer's history remain intact at this point.

I've decided not to worry too much about pre-Otalia plotline discrepancy as this is an AU after all.

**Devil Ride**

by

xenalvr

**37**

Olivia blew out a breath when the hour long staff meeting wrapped up. She had a long day ahead of her, partly because her day had started out a tad later than usual. She had woken up to find a note from Natalia in place of her person, and its short, one-line content had put a permanent smile on her face. Then Emma had come into her room and they had had time for a fun, leisurely breakfast before she sent Emma to school as the school bus driver hadn't been notified of her return.

Emma had been so excited to see her friends again, and couldn't wait to tell them about her adventures. Olivia felt guilty for having disrupted her daughter's school term even though Emma had been keeping up with her schoolwork while she was at Sam's. She had made sure that Emma knew it was all right to inform her if she was having any trouble with her schoolwork-not that Emma seemed to care very much about it; it was nearing the festive season with Thanksgiving only a few days away.

Leaning back in her chair, Olivia flexed her left hand and frowned at its discomfort. Then she rolled her eyes and smirked to herself when she realised the reason for it. She covered her eyes as she shook her head, feeling slightly embarrassed but, at the same time, pleased with herself.

_'I'll be thinking of you the entire day... and then some,'_ Natalia's note had read.

Olivia picked up her cell and quickly wrote a message to Natalia, feeling like a giddy teenager when she did so. She had had countless love affairs and a few volatile relationships but none of them compared to what she now had with Natalia. The matching intensity, passion and yearning that they seemed to share for each other was intoxicating, at the very least. Who would have thought? Olivia _Freakin'_ Spencer finally knew what it felt like to be content, to want someone as much as they wanted her.

Loving and being loved by Natalia was quite unlike anything she had ever known.

Olivia closed her eyes briefly and tried to push the thoughts of Natalia to a sacred spot in her head so that she might concentrate on her day. She had an important meeting with an interested restaurant owner at Towers shortly, as well as one with Robert later in the afternoon. The thought of Mallet made her frown; no one messed Olivia Spencer and the people she loved, and got away with it. No one. She hoped to resolve that problem as quickly as possible. It would not do to have his dark presence hanging around Natalia for too long.

A knock on her door made her look up, then glance at her wristwatch. "Come in," she called out.

"Hey."

Olivia's heart flipped pleasantly in her chest when a familiar dark head poked in. Dressed casually, Natalia's hair was pulled back in a high ponytail, and she was wearing large, hooped earrings. Her effortless beauty made Olivia sigh. "Hey, what are you doing here?" she asked, getting up from her chair.

Natalia walked into the office after pulling the door close behind her. "I was... in the area?" she said lightly, playfully. "I won't keep you. I spoke to Buzz and he was concerned about what I told him about Mallet... I'm not sure he fully believed me, but..." Natalia shrugged when she came to a stop in front of Olivia, loosely tangling their fingers of one hand together. "Whatever. I could leave after the breakfast crowd thinned out, so I did."

"That's that, I suppose," Olivia murmured, already distracted from their conversation by Natalia's proximity. "I was just thinking about you."

Natalia's impish grin made Olivia's lips quirk. "I know. I got your text. That's how I knew you weren't really that busy. It motivated me to come disturb you."

"Oh, I've been told that I can be... motivational," Olivia said slowly, her eyes falling on Natalia's lips. "Feel free to be motivated to surprise me, whenever you want, in whatever way you want." Her voice was soft and a tad scratchy. The atmosphere was charged, as it usually was when it was just the two of them.

Natalia gave a mock gasp. "Are you propositioning me, Ms. Spencer?" she asked coyly, resting her free hand on Olivia's shoulder, and lightly stroking her neck with her fingers. Then she replaced her fingers with her lips, and Olivia's eyes fell shut briefly as she breathed in Natalia's scent. "I like it when you try to be all bad and seductive," Natalia whispered, making Olivia smile again.

"You know, you and I can never work together. We'd never get any work done," Olivia said a tad breathlessly when the feeling of want that was always on a low simmer whenever she wasn't with Natalia slowly rose to a boil. "And you know what? While my hotel crumbles around us, I'd still be smiling in the rubbles if you were there with me."

Natalia pulled back slightly and Olivia looked into amused brown eyes when Natalia said, "That might just be one of the most romantic things anyone's ever said to me." Then Natalia tilted her head and narrowed her eyes playfully. "Then again, I don't know many people who _own_ hotels."

Olivia snorted. "I knew there must be something that you liked about me," she said jokingly, then regretted her words as soon as they left her lips. She felt an imperceptible shift in Natalia's mood and looked searchingly at her. "Apart from my winning good looks and witty personality," she continued, gratified when Natalia smiled. But then Natalia moved away, and Olivia felt the loss of their contact.

"About what you suggested last night... working for you, under Greg?" Natalia said when she sat down in one of the two chairs in front of Olivia's desk. "I... thought about it on the way back and while I really, really appreciate the opportunity..."

Olivia went to sit down in her chair as well, already knowing what was coming by the way Natalia phrased her words.

"... I don't think it's the right time for me to take you up on it. I hope you understand," Natalia said, leaning forward and resting her arms on the desk. "Maybe in a few months... half a year? If the position is still available, and you still think I'm the right person for the job, then I'd be happy to give it a shot. But of course, I'd understand if you found someone else. I hope you do... because I want more time with you too," Natalia finished sweetly, giving Olivia no chance to lament at her decision.

Olivia nodded. "Okay."

"Okay," Natalia echoed before standing up. "Would you... I was thinking of cooking tonight. You got all those stuff the other day but didn't get to cook. Would you mind if I used them?" she asked shyly.

Olivia smiled warmly. "Of course I don't mind. I never say no to a homecooked meal," she said, following Natalia's approach around her desk with her eyes. She swivelled in her chair and looked up when Natalia came to stand in front of her. "I'll ring the kitchen to let them know that you'll be going down to use it."

"That'll be great, thanks," Natalia said, smiling when Olivia caught hold of her hands on either side of her and pulled her closer. "Emma and I will be waiting for you when you get home then," she said softly.

Olivia let a feeling of warmth engulf her from inside out at Natalia's words. "Best thing I've heard all day."

Natalia peered at her through her lashes. "Really?"

Olivia nodded, then frowned. "Only because you have yet to say my name today," she said flirtatiously, then mentally rolled her eyes at her behaviour.

Natalia chuckled. "Well then... Emma and I will be waiting for you when you get home, _Olivia_... Better?"

Olivia made a show of sucking in a breath and considering. "Mm." Then she let out a soft whimpered when Natalia placed her lips beside her ear. Natalia's voice was low and smooth when she whispered, "I love you, Olivia. I'll see you later."

Then Natalia was gone, and Olivia thought her heart might never know how it felt like to beat regularly again.

Towers had been surprisingly empty when Olivia had gotten there. Her lunch meeting with Mr. Hsiao had gone rather well. The man co-owned an Italian fine dining restaurant in Chicago and was looking to break into the Springfield market. His proposition had come at the right time; it went in sync with Olivia's plans to put Beacon's restaurant space up for bid. They were nowhere close to sealing the deal, but Olivia was rather impressed with what they had talked about.

Oivia stifled a yawn as she glanced at her wristwatch. She had deliberately arranged for Robert to meet her at Towers in case her meeting with Mr. Hsiao took longer than expected. The reverse was true, however, and Olivia saw that she had some time to burn before Robert showed up. She waved a waiter over, placed an order for a cappuccino, and requested for the papers. If she didn't get any calls from Greg, she figured she would go back to her suite a little earlier than planned. She couldn't wait to hear about Emma's first day back at school, as well as sample Natalia's cooking for the first time.

"I hope your boss doesn't know that you're out having coffee instead of being at your desk."

Olivia looked up to see Gus smirking at her. "I won't tell on you if you don't tell on me," she replied, a smile playing on her lips.

Gus acknowledged her response with a grave nod. "I'm waiting for my doggy bag. Mind if I sit down for a bit?" he asked, then slid into the seat across from Olivia when she nodded affably. He loosened his tie and blew out a breath. "I hate these things," he grumbled goodnaturedly. "I just had lunch with the Chief of Police. What's your excuse?"

"Transition time between meetings," Olivia replied, looking away distractedly when her coffee arrived. "Would you like anything?"

Gus thought for a moment, then placed a coffee order with the expectant looking waiter. "So," he said when they were alone again, "How's everything since I saw you at Buddha Bar?"

Olivia smiled. "Good. Emma's come home."

"Oh, that's great news!" Gus said, leaning forward in his seat. "You know, we should arrange a little excursion for our children one day. I'm sure Emma would love spending time with my boys."

Olivia lifted her brows and nodded. "That sounds lovely. Natalia mentioned that she talked to you about the possibility of hanging out with Rafe on a regular basis." She saw something flit across Gus's face at that, and her curiosity was immediately piqued. Not wanting to seem too interested, she said, "How're you and Rafe dealing with the whole Natalia thing anyway, Gus?"

Gus blew out a breath. "Rafe seems to like her and... so do I..." he trailed off, looking a little unsure if he should continue. A waiter brought a brown paper bag over and Gus received it with a nod.

"But?" Olivia prompted.

Gus let out a short, nervous chuckle, then shook his head. "Well, Harley isn't too happy with her sudden presence, and honestly, I'm not sure that I'm too comfortable with Rafe spending too much time with her." At Olivia's indignant look, Gus hurried on to explain, "Don't get me wrong. I like her, I do. But... you have to agree that her past is... complicated."

"Like you say, that's her _past_," Olivia said stiffly. "We all have a past, Gus. None of us can hardly qualify as saints."

Gus looked unconvinced. "I'm not opposed to the idea of her seeing Rafe at all. She is his mother, after all. But I'm not sure if making it a regular thing might be jumping the gun. I'm already having a hard enough time convincing Harley to let Rafe see Natalia at all."

Olivia's brows furrowed. "Harley knows about Natalia's past?"

Gus shook his head. "No, I didn't tell her. She just has her reservations, that's all," he finished weakly. "I'll talk to her again. In the meantime, I'll be more comfortable if Natalia didn't spend time with Rafe alone."

Olivia couldn't help bristling at what Gus was saying, but she held her temper in check. It would serve no purpose if she lost her cool. "What about with Emma?" she asked suddenly.

Gus gazed at Olivia questioningly. "What do you mean?"

"What if Rafe hangs out with Natalia, myself and Emma? Would you be more _comfortable_ with that?" Olivia asked a tad scathingly.

Gus studied Olivia's face for a long moment as he stirred his coffee. "I suppose that'd be fine..." he said. "I'm sorry, Olivia. I know you two have gotten to be close. It's just... Rafe is my son. I know that Natalia's his birth mom but I was the one who raised him..." Gus cleared his throat, thought for a moment, then said, "Put yourself in my shoes. Say you and I had a past. Our paths cross again after ten years, and I find out that Emma's my daughter. I tell you that I have been forced to live a shady life up till recently. I ask to spend time with Emma regularly. Wouldn't _you_ have reservations about that?"

Olivia pinched the bridge of her nose while she thought. Then she finally blew out a breath and reluctantly nodded. "I get what you're trying to say."

"I guess I just need some time before I can make that sort of arrangement with her. I'm open to Rafe spending time with her but I'd prefer if we take things slow. Build up a relationship of some sort."

Again, Olivia nodded reluctantly. She felt like she was betraying Natalia in a way by agreeing with Gus but she could also see where he was coming from. He knew next to nothing about Natalia. "How about you talk to Natalia about spending time with her and Rafe? That way, you can get to know her and see for yourself that she's a wonderful person."

Gus rubbed his nose ruefully. "That's where Harley would have a problem..." he said hesitantly. Olivia rubbed her temple, feeling the onset of a headache. "Sorry, I really shouldn't lay all this on you," Gus said sheepishly.

Olivia shook her head. "No, I want to help." She tried to put a smile on her face while her mind raced for more ideas. "How about... you and Harley and the boys come spend next weekend at the Beacon? That way, you guys can get to know Natalia, and Natalia can have time with Rafe. Emma would love the company too."

Gus chewed on his lower lip while he thought. "That sounds like an idea. I'll have to talk to Harley about it though. Can I get back to you about it?" He gave her an assessing look. "You're a great friend, Olivia," he said softly. "With you vouching for Natalia this way, well... she must be a decent person."

Olivia nodded. "She is. She's a warm, beautiful, loving person. Rafe and you should be so lucky to have her as a part of your life," she stated honestly. "I know Emma and I feel that way about her."

Gus breathed out heavily through his nose and nodded. "I'm glad we had this chat, Olivia. I'll give you a call about next weekend?" At Olivia's nod, he added, "I'll give Natalia a call too." He pushed his now empty glass of drink away from him and sighed. "I'd better get back to the station."

"Have a good afternoon, Gus," Olivia said politely. "And trust me. After you get to know Natalia, you won't have a problem with Rafe being around her at all."

"I hope so, Olivia," Gus said, laying hand on Olivia's shoulder to give her a light, affectionate squeeze before he left. "I hope so."

Olivia side-stepped a small crowd of people in the Beacon's lobby and managed to get to the lift unscathed. It was going to be a busy few days, with today being the start of a three-day anime convention. The hotel was already fully booked till the next week, and it was only the beginning of the week. She wondered if Greg had contacted the papers to advertise for an assistant, like they had discussed during the meeting this morning. She had a feeling that they might need one fairly soon; she wasn't about to spend twenty-hour days at the office or at meetings instead of with Natalia and Emma.

Olivia hurried into her office and booted up her laptop, wanting to make sure that she had no urgent emails waiting for her before she went off for the day. Scanning through her inbox, she caught sight of an email from Ava and clicked on it, smiling when she read that her older daughter was having a good time in Switzerland, where she had been for the last six weeks for work. She sat herself down to write a reply, but thought better of it and told Ava to give her a call when she was able. Come to think of it, it had been a while since she had last spoken to Ava. So many things have happened in that time-things that Olivia didn't think she wanted to communicate over an email.

Her meeting with Robert had been interesting, to say the least. She was looking forward to telling Natalia about what she had found out, but that conversation would probably have to wait till Emma had gone to bed. Now that she knew a moment of rest, Olivia felt a little out of breath after the kind of day she had had. She glanced at the time and wondered if she would find Natalia in the hotel kitchen or in the suite. Emma wasn't going to be back for another hour. If she was lucky, she might find Natalia in the bath...

Shaking her head at her recently acquired one-track mind, Olivia let herself out of her office. But the self-reprimand did not stop her from hurrying towards the lift that led up to her suite.

**38**

The Beacon's kitchen was amazing. Natalia supposed that a hotel kitchen would naturally be better than the kitchen of a family-owned restaurant, but the difference was staggering. The clear hierarchy that existed between the chefs was intriguing to watch, and the way everyone moved in the kitchen was almost like an art in itself. Natalia had to remind herself not to stare while she prepared her meal of pan fried barramundi with sweet potato mash and mango salad.

Cooking was something she had always been into, and it was interesting to note how it felt like to cook for someone she was in love with. Natalia bit back a smile at that. She had to roll her eyes at herself; to think that the mere _thought_ of the words 'someone she was in love with' could make her feel like skipping around. It was insane, and definitely not a feeling she was used to.

When Natalia reached Olivia's suite, she had to back herself into the room after unlocking the door, and almost lost her grip on the tray of food in her hands when someone's arms snaked around her from behind.

"Hey baby."

Olivia's tone of voice and proximity made Natalia's stomach flip while her heart jumped, then raced from the surprise. "Don't _do_ that when I've got a tray full of food in my hands!" she hissed with no real reprimand in her voice.

"Sorry. I should let you put that down."

Natalia shot Olivia a narrowed-eye look over her shoulder as she lowered the tray of food in her hands and she almost lost her grip on the tray again when she saw that Olivia only had a bathrobe on, and it was hanging wide open. "_Olivia_..." Natalia felt her mouth go dry. Her knees suddenly felt weak.

"Hm?"

The innocent look on Olivia's face did not fool Natalia one bit. She took a shaky breath, carefully placed their dinner on the low coffee table, then stalked purposefully towards Olivia. "What are you doing home so early?" she asked softly, casually, trying hard not to notice Olivia's nakedness.

"I wanted to see you." Natalia watched Olivia's hands as they slowly moved to pull the bathrobe off smooth, rounded shoulders. She swallowed when the garment fell into a heap around Olivia's feet and her mind went blank for a moment. "But you weren't here, so I thought I'd take a shower."

Natalia blinked several times and tried to respond, but could emit nothing more than a squeak. At the risk of sounding like an absolute idiot, she wisely decided to keep her mouth shut while her brain recovered. Her eyes drank in the sight of a naked Olivia on display before her, gliding over smooth curves and tantalising valleys. Then her limbs unfroze and Natalia began advancing towards Olivia, smiling ferally when Olivia lifted a seductive brow and began backing away.

Mindful that Emma might be back at any time, Natalia picked up Olivia's bathrobe without tearing her gaze away from Olivia's, followed Olivia's retreat into her room, closed and locked the door behind her, then dropped Olivia's bathrobe in a heap on the floor.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're a tease?" Natalia asked even though she already knew the answer. She just wanted to hear Olivia speak, see those lips move, have that warm velvety voice wash over her.

Olivia sat down on the bed. "Not lately, no." Natalia swallowed when Olivia crossed one leg over the other with deliberate slowness.

Natalia took a breath to calm herself, and began to undress herself from where she was standing by the door. She felt less flustered when the pile of clothing beside her grew bigger, and her lips slanted upwards when she saw a telltale flush creep up Olivia's skin. That, and the rapid rise and fall of Olivia's chest, told Natalia that she was doing everything right.

"Well, you are. A tease. And I love it," Natalia said finally when she was naked herself. She ran her hands up her body and over her breasts with her fingers splayed, licking her lips when Olivia moaned. "And I want you," she whispered when she took a step forward. Her breath caught in her throat when Olivia chose to respond by uncrossing her legs and setting them apart.

When she finally reached Olivia, Natalia was shaking a little. She slotted herself between Olivia's legs and yanked Olivia's head back with enough force to make Olivia gasp but not enough to hurt her. Her eyes fluttered shut briefly when she felt Olivia's hand slide up her side, but quickly batted it away before it reached the curve of her breast. "Didn't you hear me, Olivia? I said I want you. That means you don't get to touch me until I'm done with you."

"Oh really."

Natalia narrowed her eyes at Olivia's low, defiant tone and lift of brow. She hovered her lips above Olivia's, close enough for their breaths to mingle, but not close enough for them to touch. Then she slowly lifted one leg over Olivia's and lowered herself onto Olivia's thigh. Both their breaths were forcefully expelled when contact was made.

"_God_, Natalia..."

The surprise and need in Olivia's voice made Natalia moan as she slid down the length of Olivia's thigh. "Olivia..."

"Please, just kiss me already." Olivia sounded hoarse and her cheeks were flushed.

Natalia couldn't stop herself from moving against Olivia's thigh, coating it with evidence of her arousal. She moaned when Olivia's hands came to a rest on her hips. Their lips were a mere inch away from each other's. Natalia could feel Olivia's raspy breath on her face, see arousal tint her cheeks and lower her eyelids. Her own body was tingling and her nipples were aching for Olivia's touch. Then a knock on the door made Natalia cease her movement almost immediately.

"Mommy?"

"Oh, you've got to be _kidding_ me!" Olivia groaned as she dropped her forehead onto Natalia's shoulder. "Someone up there fucking hates me!" she mumbled pathetically.

Natalia didn't know if she should laugh or cry, but opted to be off of Olivia's thigh when she did either. She took a few deep breaths and gathered her hair into a ponytail. "I think my brain just exploded," she said, feeling a little dazed.

"I'm sorry, baby."

Natalia shook her head at Olivia's apology and leaned into Olivia to press a chaste kiss onto full lips, whimpering a little when she did so. She quickly pulled away. "Bad idea," she mumbled to herself as she turned to look for her clothes and hurriedly threw them on while Olivia answered Emma through the door. She was appropriately dressed and a bit more collected by the time Olivia turned back to her, and smirked when Olivia frowned.

"I'll see you outside," Natalia said, lightly smacking Olivia's ass for good measure before she exited the room. She thought she heard Olivia's strangled growl right before the door closed behind her.

"Natalia!" Emma said excitedly when she caught sight of Natalia. "Guess what? I get to perform in the Thanksgiving play!"

Natalia smiled at Emma's enthusiasm. "Really? When is the performance?" she asked as she sat down on the couch, trying to ignore the discomfort between her legs and shove inappropriate thoughts of Olivia to the back of her mind. She watched with slightly bemused eyes when Emma began counting the days with her fingers. Then a smile brightened her face again when she looked up. "Mommy!"

"Hey 'Bean, did you have a good day at school?" Olivia said before sliding onto the couch between Natalia and Emma, decently clothed in a blouse and a pair of capri pants. Natalia sighed when Olivia's hand found hers and discreetly placed a kiss on Olivia's shoulder.

"I get to perform in the Thanksgiving play!" Emma repeated herself excitedly. "It's next Wednesday! Can you come?"

Olivia pretended to think about it. "I don't know..." she started saying. Natalia watched Emma's face fall, then brighten again when Olivia said, "Can I go there on Tuesday to make sure that I get the best seat in the house?"

Emma started giggling. "You're silly, Mommy!"

"Natalia doesn't think I'm silly. Do you, Natalia?" Olivia asked, looking at Natalia for support.

Natalia smirked at Olivia's antics. "I think your Mommy's kinda cute, Emma," she said, gazing at Olivia even though she was speaking to Emma. The smile that Olivia gave her warmed her insides. "And very sweet. But yes, definitely, _definitely_ silly as well."

"See! Natalia thinks so too!" Emma yelled triumphantly as she jumped up on the couch.

"Oh, so that's how it is, huh?" Olivia complained goodnaturedly. "The two of you ganging up on me..."

"Mommy, Mommy, is Ava and Uncle Sam going to be here for Thanksgiving?" Emma asked suddenly, quickly tiring of their thread of conversation.

"'Are', sweetie. _Are_ Ava and Uncle Sam going to be here," Olivia corrected Emma. Natalia found herself smiling at the way Olivia interacted with Emma.

"_Are_ they?" Emma asked, bouncing lightly on the couch.

"Uncle Sam said he might be able to. As for Ava, I'm not sure. She's still in Switzerland for work, and I don't know when she'll be back. I'm waiting for her call though. When she rings, I'll ask her, okay?"

Olivia had briefly mentioned Ava to Natalia before, when they had dinner at Towers the day Natalia had seen Raphael for the first time. That was all Natalia knew about Ava, and she doubted that Ava knew anything of her. She felt a little apprehensive at the prospect of meeting Ava, the same way she had felt before she had met Emma and Sam. Natalia thought about the people in her own life and wasn't sure if there was anyone at all she wanted Olivia to meet. She felt a little guilty that she hadn't given any of them much thought these days, and thought about giving either Maria or Ruth a call to see how they were.

"Would you like to spend Thanksgiving with us?" Olivia asked, turning to look at Natalia.

The question broke Natalia's reverie and she immediately broke into a shy, dimpled smile. "Yes, I'd love to."

"Yay!" Emma exclaimed, causing Natalia to tear her gaze from Olivia and grin at the girl. "There'll be you, me, Mommy and maybe Uncle Sam!" Then she paused for a moment and added, "And a turkey!" Natalia and Olivia chuckled at that.

"Speaking of food, the dinner I made for us is cooling down as we speak," Natalia said, getting up from the couch. "How about you guys grab a seat while I heat it up quickly?"

"All right, 'Bean. Go wash up for dinner and come right back here," Natalia heard Olivia instruct Emma. "Remember to use soap!"

Natalia smiled to herself as she heated up their dinner. As the days went by, it got easier to believe that her relationship with Olivia could exist in the real world. She sighed when she felt Olivia come up behind her and wrap her arms around her. "Hey," she said quietly as she leaned back into the embrace.

"Thanks for making us dinner."

Natalia smiled when she felt Olivia kiss her cheek. "You're welcome."

"I'm crazy about you."

Natalia's stomach flipped at Olivia's words; she turned around to face her. "I'm crazy about you too," she admitted, unable to meet Olivia's eyes when she said the words softly. "I'm not used to this..." She trailed a finger down Olivia's cheek. "You are so beautiful to me," she murmured breathily.

The ding of the microwave oven distracted Natalia, but Olivia didn't let go of her. She smiled at Olivia's advancing lips and melted into a kiss because, in that moment, it was easy to believe that nothing mattered outside of them.

**39**

Without the hustle and bustle, Buddha Bar looked and felt different. The water features still ran, however, and Natalia found herself enthralled by them once again while she was waiting for Paul, who had given her the job after she was able to make him a few standard drinks and cocktails. As the roster for the week and the next had already been drawn up, Natalia could only start work after that, but she didn't mind it too much. She found that she hadn't spent much at all since being in Springfield, and had even managed to save a little money from her brief stint at Company.

Natalia pulled out her cell, tried to ignore the text messages from several unknown numbers, which she had quickly learnt were from Mallet, and wrote one out to Olivia to ask if she and Emma would let her buy them dinner this evening. Then she snapped her cell shut with a small sigh and stared unseeingly at the row of Buddhas.

It had been easy to push thoughts of Mallet to the back of her head when she was with Olivia and Emma, but now that she was alone, a nagging uneasiness crept up upon her and tainted her mood. She hated that she had felt the need to look over her shoulder after she had left the Beacon, and was angered that Mallet could invade her peace of mind with the mere idea of his presence. But most of all, she loathed being reminded of all the times she had felt fearful and paranoid when she was working the streets in Chicago.

She wasn't nave. She knew that Mallet wasn't going to leave her alone even if she kept on avoiding and ignoring him. Leaving Company and her room at the boarding house might have been the safer option but leaving her job and residence each time Mallet unnerved her hardly seemed like a long term solution.

Robert had given Olivia a standard report on Mallet's life before he had joined the police force. Being an undercover cop, his records after that were sketchy at best. What Olivia had found interesting and thought they could use to their advantage was the knowledge that Vizzini, someone Mallet had worked for, was still looking for him. Robert hadn't been able to give Olivia any details as to why it was so but Olivia was confident that with the right kind of contacts, they would be able to find out more.

The name had sounded vaguely familiar to Natalia. She was pretty sure that Mallet had mentioned that name to her before, something about how he had intended to look for her when he had gotten out of his mess with this Vizzini character. She wasn't sure how they could use this information to their advantage, however. Just thinking about it caused Natalia's frustration to mount; all she wanted was to be left alone.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Natalia!"

Natalia pasted a smile on her face at Paul's appearance. She filed her thoughts away hastily. "That's okay."

"Shall we?"

Natalia nodded and followed Paul to his car. Whatever it was, she refused to let Mallet back her into a corner. There would be a way to rid herself of him, she just had to think of it. Moreover, with Olivia in her corner, it was hard to feel like anything was hopeless. At that, her steps lightened. She flipped open her cell after Paul pulled away from Buddha Bar, then smiled at Olivia's reply. Emma was staying over at her friend's place tonight. It would just be Olivia and herself.

"So, what are your plans for tonight?" Paul asked conversationally as he drove.

Natalia took a moment before she answered. "I have a date," she said slowly, trying to get used to the way the words sounded. They put a silly smile on her face, one that she tried to stow away, but Paul caught sight of it and smiled in response.

"New love. Such a lovely thing," Paul said with a dreamy sigh. Then his smile wavered. "I mean, that's what it is, right? I haven't put my foot in my mouth, have I?" he asked a tad nervously.

Natalia shook her head. "No, you haven't," she affirmed. What they had, what she felt, it wasn't just infatuation and lust, and it wasn't some whimsical thing that was going away after the passion wore off. "This is... it's real," she said softly, both to Paul and herself.

"Where are you guys going?"

Natalia shrugged. "I don't know... I want to take her out somewhere nice but I don't really know much about Springfield..." she said, trailing off.

"Are you thinking... romantic? Or fun?" Paul asked as he pulled over.

"Both. It can't be somewhere too pricey, but I want to be able to spoil her and show her a good time," Natalia said, looking hopefully at Paul.

Paul thought for a moment, then opened his car door. "Come on, let's go up. If you want romantic, there's this really cozy Italian restaurant called Bella Trattorio on Main that Greg and I frequent. But if you want romantic and fun..." Paul frowned, then snapped his fingers and laid a hand on her arm. "There's the Knight's Action Park. We can check the opening hours online when we get upstairs. They've got miniature golf, go-karts... and I _think_ there's even a drive-in theatre..."

Natalia listened to Paul's narrative attentively as her mind raced at the possibilities. She realised that she was experiencing the excitement of planning a date, probably for the first time.

Olivia couldn't concentrate. These days, she found that her attention span was close to non-existent whenever Natalia wasn't around her. She was constantly distracted, always in a hurry to finish things up so that she could see Natalia again, and was generally unproductive-for the lack of a better word. She still got things done, well and efficiently, but the pleasure she used to derive from moving her projects along and seeing to her business no longer compared to the rush that she got whenever she was around Natalia.

She wondered if this was what addiction felt like.

"Greg, can you make sure that I have nothing on next Wednesday night? Actually, see if you can arrange it so that I don't have to have any evening appointments unless it's absolutely necessary."

Greg tried to hide his reaction to her instruction, but Olivia saw his smirk anyway. "Did you have something to say about that?" Olivia asked with a raise of a brow.

Greg hurriedly shook his head and made a zipping motion with his hand, much to Olivia's exasperated amusement. "No, no, Ms. Spencer. I'll make sure you have your evenings free. By the way, have you checked out this anime convention? Some of the stuff they have there are pretty crazy, I tell you! I'm tempted to get Paul a codpiece... like the one Hercules wore."

Olivia snorted. "As a keepsake or...?"

Greg gave Olivia a pointed look and wagged a finger. "There, there. A gentleman never kisses and tells."

Olivia rolled her eyes and was about to respond with a snarky comment when her cell went off. She glanced at the screen and raised her brows at Greg, who quickly nodded and left the room.

"Ava! How are you? I've missed you," Olivia said into the receiver with a warm smile. "Is it that cold? Do me a favour and grab yourself more warm clothing. I don't want you coming back to Springfield without a nose." Olivia chuckled and swivelled in her leather chair, fidgeting with the edge of her folder as she listened to her daughter tell her about Switzerland. "Will you be back for Thanksgiving? Oh, that's great! Listen, I have something I want to tell you..."

The loud knocking on her door interrupted her conversation and she glared at the audacity of the person who dared to push her door open before she had given her permission for them to enter.

"Sorry to interrupt you, Ms. Spencer, but... you better come see this," a flustered Greg said at the doorway. He looked grey in the face.

"Ava, I'm gonna have to call you right back. Something's come up," Olivia said briskly. "I love you. I'll talk to you later."

Olivia followed Greg's nervous gaze to a large cardboard box that sat on his table, beside unravelled red ribbon and a cardboard lid. She looked in and immediately jerked her head back in reflex, feeling sick. There, lying lifelessly at the bottom of the box, was a carcass of a cat. Crudely pinned to the sorry creature was a card that read, _"Leave Her Alone."_

**40**

Natalia depressed the elevator button anxiously, uselessly urging the elevator to speed up. When the doors slid open, she jogged over to Olivia's room door and quickly let herself into the suite. Olivia was pacing the length of the suite and pinching the bridge of her nose with her fingers.

"Olivia, is everything okay? You sounded..." she trailed off when she caught sight of something on the table. Colour drained from her face and her stomach turned. She pressed her palm against the base of her throat. "Is that... Oh God, is that a dead cat, Olivia?"

Olivia blew out a breath and stopped her pacing. With a hand on her hip and the other against her temple, she said, "No. Well, yes, it's meant to be. It's a fake dead cat. God knows why but they were selling these at the convention the Beacon's hosting."

Natalia bit on her lower lip as she made her way to Olivia, trying to ignore the realistic looking prop on the table. "Is it... Mallet?" she asked, spitting out the man's name in a low voice.

Olivia nodded and pinched the bridge of her nose again. "I think so. Who else could it be? The box was left on Greg's table. It wasn't labelled, so he opened it." Olivia reached for something on the table and handed it to Natalia. "This came with it."

Natalia scanned the short message and covered her mouth with her free hand. She fell silent while tumultuous thoughts crashed through her head, none of them good. Then she went to sit on the couch. After a short time, Olivia came over to join her.

"We have to do something about this," Olivia said quietly.

Olivia seemed to have calmed down a little, but Natalia was feeling the opposite. She nodded, glad that Emma was at her friend's. Then her eyes widened. "Emma! Have you spoken to her?"

"I did. She's fine. I spoke to Jodi's mother as well. They're staying in to watch a movie; it's a school night after all, even if it's nearing the holiday season. I'll speak to Emma again before she goes to bed and before she goes to school tomorrow. And I'll collect her from school tomorrow, after her play rehearsal."

Olivia sounded so tired, it wrenched at Natalia's heart. "I'm so sorry," she murmured, unable to meet Olivia's eyes.

"What? No! You shouldn't have to apologise for that... that sick bastard!" Olivia said vehemently.

"But it's because of me..." Natalia started saying, only to be stopped by Olivia's hand on hers. She held onto it gratefully, like a lifeline. It reassured her that Olivia wasn't angry with her-something that she didn't understand, actually. God knows she blamed herself.

"His actions have got nothing to do with you. You hear me? This is all him. I don't know what he's thinking, but it's got nothing to do with you. Okay?" Natalia nodded slowly at Olivia's earnest words, but she was still unconvinced.

"Natalia, look at me," Olivia urged softly. When Natalia raised her head to meet Olivia's eyes, she swallowed at the look of seriousness on Olivia's face. "Please don't let him win."

Natalia's face crumbled and she dropped her forehead onto Olivia's shoulder. "I'm scared," she admitted in a small voice. Her eyes fell shut when she felt Olivia stroking her hair. "Paul's tyres got slashed earlier. I don't think it's a random act, Olivia. I think it was him and he followed me."

"I think maybe we should call Gus," Olivia said finally. "The cops won't do anything about this. The box wasn't labelled; it would be treated as a sick prank, but without proof, they won't take action. The text messages that he sent you... you say that they're from different numbers?"

Natalia nodded. "He doesn't even sign off."

"Wait, this reminds me, I got you something," Olivia said, pulling her face back. "I'll go get it, okay?"

Natalia shook her head. "Can it wait? I just want... you," she said pleadingly.

Olivia smiled faintly at that and her eyes softened. "Okay." Natalia fell back into Olivia's embrace and sighed heavily. The sound of Olivia's heartbeat soothed her, so she focussed on it.

"I can feel you pouting," Olivia said after a time.

Natalia couldn't help the reluctant smile tugging at her lips at Olivia's comment. "No you can't..."

"Sure I can. Now you're trying hard to not smile, but I can still hear it in your voice."

Natalia raised her face and frowned, trying to keep her lips from curving up. "Olivia, stop goofing around! This is serious!"

"Oh, I know it is. This is _very_ serious," Olivia murmured. Natalia felt her face warm up at the way Olivia was looking at her. "I'm very serious about this," Olivia rephrased her sentence, and the tenderness in her look and tone made Natalia's heart perform a small flip in her chest. "About you. About us." Olivia paused, then continued, "So I never want to hear you say that any of this is your fault, okay?"

Natalia couldn't do anything but nod. Her throat suddenly felt choked up with emotions.

"Okay. So, what do you think about calling Gus? He's in the force, and I think we can trust him to a certain extent. Even if he doesn't fully believe us, he might do a bit of investigating, or be able to tell us something that Robert can't. We just need something more on this Vizzini fellow, something that we can work with."

Natalia took a deep breath, cleared her throat, and nodded. "Okay."

"We'll get through this, I promise."

"Okay," Natalia said again, sounding defeated. Olivia shook her head at Natalia with a faint smile on her lips. "What?" Natalia asked, frowning at Olivia, who seemed to be periodically switching from serious to playful.

"You manage to look so beautiful even when you're pensive," Olivia murmured. "Do you know how much I love you?"

Natalia touched a finger to her nose self-consciously. "No..." she said shyly, feeling the beginnings of a blush creep up her cheeks. "Olivia, this doesn't feel right," she said with some exasperation.

Olivia lifted a brow. "What doesn't?"

Natalia flapped her hands around her a little. "This. Not being completely freaked out... I mean, don't get me wrong. I'm freaked out. But there're these feelings I have for you in the mix. Feeling good when you tell me you love me... even when something so bad is happening..." Natalia said, trying to put her thoughts into words. "... it seems wrong, somehow."

"I didn't tell you I love you, I just asked if you knew how much I did," Olivia said, then smiled when Natalia glared at her. "Okay, no more kidding around, gotcha." Olivia shifted on the couch and reached out a hand to cup Natalia's cheek. "It's not wrong. It just shows that he's not bigger than us. And we'll get rid of him, I promise."

Natalia studied Olivia's features for a long time while she processed Olivia's words. "You're wonderful," she said finally. "And I'm so lucky to have you."

Olivia smiled widely. "I know." She chuckled when Natalia smacked her arm playfully. "Hey, that's considered abuse, you know!" She smiled when Natalia quickly kissed her arm where she had hit it. "Oh no, it doesn't hurt there. It hurts here," Olivia said, pointing at her lips.

Natalia bit back a smile at Olivia's antics. "Does it now?" she asked. When Olivia nodded seriously, she leaned in and caught Olivia's lips with her own. But before she could pull away, Olivia deepened the kiss, sliding her tongue across Natalia's lower lip. Natalia moaned softly and opened her mouth to catch the playful muscle, tangling it with her own.

Kissing Olivia was such a wonderful feeling. It made her flushed with want and suffused with affection, almost as though the intimate contact translated information that would otherwise be lost if words had been used.

When the kiss ended, Natalia breathed in deeply and opened her eyes. "I love you too." She smiled when Olivia rubbed their noses together. "And I was supposed to take you out on a fun and romantic date," she said as she toyed with Olivia's fingers. After the kind of day Olivia and she had, however, the thought of leaving the suite when there was a possibility of someone waiting to jump out at them from the shadows was definitely not her idea of fun or romantic.

"This is fun and romantic," Olivia said softly. "You're the only thing I need."

Natalia stroked Olivia's cheek lightly, unable to curb a dimpled smile. "Sweet talker," she chided affectionately.

"Only with you."

Natalia wrapped her arms around Olivia and breathed in her scent. It didn't matter that her world felt crazy and chaotic all around her, that Mallet was somewhere out there, thinking up of ways to get to her. Just as long as she had this, she could believe that everything else would eventually be okay.

**41**

"Here, this is for you," Olivia said, handing Natalia a large paper bag that was taped close. After she rearranged herself on the couch, she watched Natalia peer up at her with a faint curious smile, and her own lips twitched in response. "Not gonna shake it first?" she asked teasingly, then chuckled when dark eyes glinted at her.

"What's this for?" Natalia asked as she carefully peeled away the tape that held the bag close. She pulled out a slim box and her mouth fell open. Olivia found herself chasing after and taking in Natalia's unguarded expression of surprised delight. "Olivia," Natalia said when she looked up. "You didn't have to..."

"I know, I really wanted to though," Olivia said, smiling at the look on Natalia's face. "Open it," she urged, gesturing with one hand.

"I wouldn't have a clue how to work a touch screen phone," Natalia said, shaking her head.

But Olivia could see that Natalia was excited about her gift, and that made her happy. She caught Natalia's eyes and they shared a grin. Then she raised her brows slightly when Natalia placed the partially open box on the coffee table and leaned forward on her knees to wrap her arms around her shoulders.

"I thought it might be fun to be the first person who has your cell number," Olivia mumbled against Natalia's neck. "I got the salesperson to set it so that your outgoing calls will appear as an unknown number on any caller ID. It's under Emma's name though..."

Natalia pulled away and gave Olivia a watery smile. "You used Emma's name? That's so sneakily brilliant."

Olivia snorted. "Well. Don't let Emma find out about that. She might lay claim to the phone, and then it's bye bye childhood, hello late night phone calls and sneaking out to hang out with boys... Then I'll have to give her 'The Talk', and screen every boy that comes within ten feet of her..." she rambled on wryly, causing Natalia to smirk.

"You're silly."

Olivia lifted a brow at Natalia and reached out a hand to pull her onto her lap, smiling crookedly when she heard Natalia's gasp of surprise. "So I've been told." She shifted slightly to accommodate the extra weight, then smiled up at Natalia, who was wearing an indulgent smile on her lips. "And I suspect you might even like me that way."

Natalia snorted softly. "Maybe." Natalia's voice was light, quiet-wistful, even. It made Olivia rest her cheek on Natalia's shoulder and tighten her loose embrace as she breathed in Natalia's scent.

She couldn't quite pinpoint what it was about Natalia that drew her like a moth to a flame-that is, apart from the obvious physical and emotional attraction. Natalia was a beautiful woman, and when someone got past her defences, she was warm and loving, funny and intelligent. Olivia could get how all that could be attractive, but there was something else... some sort of elusiveness that Natalia possessed which tipped the scales for Olivia, clearly exhibiting the difference between lovable and irresistible.

Olivia pulled her face back and met dark, inquisitive eyes with her own. At first glance, Natalia did not appear to have a very expressive face, but once Olivia had learnt to pick up the nuances of her soft features, she found Natalia's face an interesting read. Now, for instance, Natalia looked to be waiting for something...

Olivia inched her face closer to Natalia's and saw Natalia's lips part ever so slightly. She closed the remaining distance between their lips and gently sucked on Natalia's lower lip, sighing when she felt Natalia's hands sliding across her shoulders and down her back.

Natalia was right; it was difficult to think that they were surrounded by any kind of danger when they were together like this. That was dangerous in itself but Olivia wouldn't have it any other way. She would rather have to keep reminding herself to be on the alert than to give up this connection that they shared.

Natalia's skin was soft and warm, and Olivia found herself engrossed in every square millimetre that was revealed. The heat between their bodies increased, and Olivia raised her arms to let Natalia peel her top off. Her bra came off quickly as well, and suddenly Olivia was pressed onto her back with Natalia lying partially on her, gazing at her with hungry eyes. Her heartrate sped up, and her head snapped back when she felt moist heat envelope her nipple. She let out a soft cry, then ran a hand through dark tresses, holding Natalia's mouth where she wanted it.

The shrill ringing of the phone just managed to penetrate the haze of lust that had settled upon Olivia. She considered letting the call go to her voicemail but didn't want to risk missing a call from either Emma or Ava. She growled in frustration and blew out a breath when Natalia stopped her ministrations and rested her chin on her chest.

"Here," Natalia said, reaching over for Olivia's cell, which was sitting on the coffee table beside them. "I'll go set my new phone up," she said with a faint smile, pausing to let Olivia give her a kiss before she shifted off of Olivia.

"Hey, Ava. Yes, I'm sorry about earlier. Everything's fine," Olivia said into the receiver as she watched Natalia go into the bedroom. She sat herself up and ran a hand through her messed up hair. She quickly picked up her discarded top and put it back on, not caring that it was inside out. "When will you be back, sweetie?"

Olivia smiled at Ava's reply. "Great! I can't wait to see you. I... You know how I said earlier that I had something to tell you? Well..." Ava interrupted her before she could continue, and her daughter's words made her chuckle. "Yes... As a matter of fact, I _am_ seeing someone. Uh huh. Someone I really, really like."

Olivia moved over to the bar to fix herself a drink. She kept her voice low; even though she was hardly about to speak ill about Natalia, she didn't want Natalia to feel uncomfortable hearing Olivia talk about her to someone she had never met.

"_Her_ name is Natalia," she said into the receiver, smiling widely when she uttered Natalia's name. She laughed at Ava's reaction. "She's pretty special. I'm looking forward to you meeting her." Then she rolled her eyes. "No... don't call me a shrew, Ava, that's not nice. And no one's tamed anyone, all right?" she huffed a little, but couldn't help grinning either.

"It's complicated. I'll tell you everything when you get back, how about that?" Olivia took a sip of her martini before bringing it to back to the couch with her. "She's staying with me at the moment. And no, she's not here beside me. She's in the room." Olivia bit on her lower lip, then smiled. "Okay sweetie. I'll see you real soon."

Olivia smiled unseeingly at her handset after the call ended, then breathed in deeply and scrolled through her contact list for Jodi's number, thinking that she might as well give her other daughter a call now.

Natalia bit the inside of her cheek while she tried to figure out how her new cell worked. She frowned at the array of icons on the flat screen, and touched on one tentatively. "How..." she mumbled, bewildered. Then she brought her old cell over and began transferring numbers into the new one. When she reached Maria's number, she paused, thought for a moment, then touched the 'Call' button on the screen.

"Hey, it's 'Talia," she said into the receiver, using the hypocorism only Maria addressed her with. "I just wanted to call and see how you are. I'm sorry I haven't contacted you. I guess I was mad... I still am, a little, but..." She shrugged and continued her voicemail message, looking down as she did so, "Anyway, I hope you're doing well. And I'm sorry you were hurt because of me. I..." She lifted her head and stopped speaking when she heard a disruption on the other end.

"Hey," she said in surprise when she recognised Maria's voice. "I thought I rang your cell." She frowned at Maria's explanation. "Call diverting? Never mind," she said, shaking her head. "I was just about to hang up anyway."

Natalia looked up, saw Olivia appearing at the doorway, and gave her a distracted smile. "I'm gonna go... what?" Natalia turned from Olivia to concentrate on what Maria was telling her. "What do you... How did she look like? What sort of questions was she asking?"

Natalia ended the call a while after, feeling grim. She met Olivia's concerned, questioning gaze and exhaled loudly through her nose, wishing that she had made the call some other time.

**42**

Natalia glanced around nervously. She was seated with her back against the wall, in the furthest corner of the small caf she had found on Grand Avenue. Olivia had made her take the car even though the caf was within walking distance of the Beacon, so she was a little less paranoid that Mallet might be skulking around. She still felt exposed and vulnerable outside of the Beacon suite, however, and she hated that anyone could make her feel that way.

She really didn't know what she could do to make Mallet leave her alone. Leaving Olivia that horrible parcel and note... Did he think that Olivia was the reason why she hadn't wanted to see him, that Olivia was keeping her from him? She could kick herself for telling him that she was with somebody, and she had to wonder if that was the reason why Paul's tyres had gotten slashed.

Natalia took a deep breath to try and stave off the panic that was threatening to overcome her. She worried at her lower lip as she absently traced the rim of her cup with an index finger, constantly looking at the door to see if anyone was coming in.

Her short conversation with Maria had brought another situation to her attention. Apparently, a woman had been asking around after her, wanting to know of her past and why she had left Chicago. The woman had had credentials, and Maria had taken note of her name out of sheer disbelief that anyone could be named Harley Davidson Cooper.

Olivia had bitten back a laugh when Natalia told her what Maria had said, and the memory of Olivia's guilty, mirthful expression put a smile on Natalia's face. She looked over at the caf entrance yet again, and this time she saw Harley walking in. She sat up straight in her seat and caught Harley's eye.

"Thanks for coming out to see me on such short notice," Natalia said when Harley was within earshot.

"I don't understand why we couldn't have met up at Company," Harley said when she sat herself down. Her slightly icy tone made Natalia bite her lower lip. "I understand you used to work there? Were you asked to leave?"

Harley was blunt and, for some reason, it strengthened Natalia's resolve to come clean with her. At the very least, Natalia could be sure that Harley's reactions were honest, that Harley wouldn't beat around the bush. "No, I wasn't. I..." Natalia trailed off, and gave Harley an assessing look. She wasn't sure if this was the best time to tell her about Mallet. At this point, she wasn't sure how much she should share, and wanted to be cautious. "I got a better offer at Buddha Bar, and my room at the boarding house had gotten broken into. I didn't feel safe there. That's why I left."

The raised brow look that Harley wore reminded her of Olivia's, and it relaxed Natalia a little. "I've been told that you've been looking into my past?" she said with equal bluntness. She had a feeling that this was the way to get through to Harley. A grudging look of approval that accompanied the slight surprise on Harley's face told her that she was right.

"Yes. Gus wouldn't tell me anything, so I went to get some answers myself." Harley paused a little, then added, "I know you're Rafe's birth mom, but I've been the only mother he's ever known. I had to make sure that you aren't a fraud."

Natalia nodded. "And I thank you for that. Thank you for loving and caring for Rafe." She took a deep breath. "I'm sure Gus had his reasons for not telling you everything. And I'm sure you've found out a fair bit about me on your own. I'm sorry it's taken me this long to get to talk to you and, well, state my intentions. You had every right to be suspicious of me. I guess I did this the wrong way. I just... well, trust me when I say that I didn't have a clue how to proceed when I found out that Rafe's alive."

Natalia paused in her narrative when someone came over to take Harley's order. She flashed the waitperson a distracted smile before she continued, "I was very young when I had Rafe. My parents had told me that I had had a still birth, and had given Rafe up to Gus without my knowledge. I... haven't seen them since-my parents, that is."

Natalia scratched her forehead lightly. "I've been working in the sex industry since then, first in strip clubs, then on the streets. I'm not... well, Olivia said that I should embrace my past, so..." Natalia straightened herself and looked Harley straight in the eye. "I had to do what I had to do to survive. And I don't apologise for that. I made a conscious decision to leave that world, and I did."

Harley was silent for a long while, and Natalia toyed with the cup in her hands nervously while she waited for the woman to say something.

"You seem to have found a friend in Olivia," Harley finally commented.

Natalia ducked her head and smiled at the mention of Olivia. She made a quick decision and said, "I have. I'm in love with her."

Harley lifted a brow. "Are you, now? Does she know?"

Natalia nodded, and once again couldn't keep the smile from her lips. "We... we're together."

"Really. Does Gus know?" was Harley's next question.

Natalia shrugged. "I don't know. We haven't intentionally hidden it from anyone. We haven't run around shouting it out in the streets either, so..." She shrugged again. "He might or might not have come to that conclusion."

Harley blew out a breath. "Men are stupid." Natalia snorted, then bit on her lower lip when her gaze met Harley's; she wasn't sure if her response had offended Harley. Then Harley gave her a grudging smile, and Natalia relaxed. "Well, there goes the theory that he's having an affair with you."

Natalia's brows jumped into her hairline. "What? Why would you think that?" she asked, incredulous.

Harley shrugged. "We've been having problems. And ever since you came into the picture, he's been... even more distant. So for a while, I thought maybe you were still in love with him or wanted to get back together with him..." Harley gave Natalia an ironical smile. "After all, you share a child with him. If you didn't know, Zack and Jude aren't his."

Natalia shook her head. "I didn't know. And no, for the record, I am not here to get back with Gus. The idea is just... ludicrous. We were both kids when I got pregnant and we've led different lives and have become such different people." She touched her cheek absently and looked up when Harley's coffee arrived.

"Anyway. I'm glad you looked me up. At least now I know you're serious about wanting to be a part of Rafe's life," Harley said as she added sugar to her coffee. "Rafe's school and after school activities take up a huge chunk of his time. I need his schedule to be stable, so I don't want to make abrupt changes to it. I spend one of my days off with the boys, to hang out, do stuff together, and I'm happy for you to join us once in a while for that. Does that sound... amenable to you?"

Natalia felt a rush of emotion at Harley's words. She gave Harley a watery smile. "Yes. It sounds great. And I'm sorry that it had taken me this long to talk to you and get to know you. I've just been... things have just been crazy in my world..." she said vaguely.

Harley smirked. "Falling in love does take everything out of perspective."

Natalia barked out a short laugh at that. "I... yes, well... Olivia and I have been spending a fair bit of time together. But it's not just that." Natalia studied Harley's sharp features; she had an honest, if reserved, face now that her icy demeanour thawed a little. "I'm being stalked," she said abruptly.

"Say what?"

Natalia chuckled mirthlessly. "That's why I didn't want to meet you at Company. I didn't want the possibility of bumping into Mallet."

"Mallet? Marina's Mallet? What are you talking about?" Harley asked, sounding a little suspicious and confused.

For a second, Natalia wondered if she had made the wrong choice in confiding in the woman. Then she took a deep breath and trudged on, trusting her instincts. "He's an ex-client of mine. I haven't seen him for, I don't know, over a year, maybe?" Natalia said with a shrug. She gazed unseeingly at a spot on the table. "I bumped into him in Springfield. He approached me, and I pretended to be someone else. Then he saw me again at Company, and I admitted that I am who he thought I was, and I told him that I was no longer... doing what I was doing."

Natalia risked a quick glance at Harley and saw her following her narration intently. She couldn't read her expression, however, and didn't have a clue as to whether the woman believed a word that she was saying. "He appeared outside my room wanting to talk to me, so I met him at the mall one afternoon and... he said some pretty crazy stuff about how he loves me and was planning to look for me once he got out of his mess with someone called Vizzini."

Harley frowned and leaned forward at that. "Vizzini," she echoed, and Natalia nodded. "Go on," she said with a jerk of her head.

"I told him I was seeing someone, that I didn't feel the same way about him. When he wouldn't let me go, I stomped on his foot and left. Next thing I knew, he had broken into my room and had left flowers and a note there, asking to see me the next night for dinner."

Harley snorted in disbelief. "So that's why he's been acting weird at the precinct."

Natalia pursed her lips, then continued. "I didn't show for the dinner, of course. Next thing I know, he's bombarding my cell with messages and phone calls. Since then, he's slashed the tyres of a friend's car, as well as sent a fake dead cat and a note to Olivia, telling her to leave me alone."

Harley frowned. "A _fake_ dead cat?" she asked incredulously.

Natalia sighed and brushed an errand lock of hair behind her ear. "Yeah."

Harley snorted. "That's kinda pathetic, isn't it? Kinda makes me think that he might need to use a strap on..."

Natalia's eyes widened and she let out a surprised laugh. "Okay, so not funny but yet... so funny," she said, shaking her head, feeling a little incredulous that Harley had gotten her to laugh about the situation. "But yeah, that's what's happening and it's freaking us out. Well it's freaking _me_ out and just pissing Olivia off big time. With all that happening, seeing Rafe just didn't seem like a good idea."

Harley was silent for a long time, and Natalia took it to mean that she was assessing the truth of what she was saying. She moved away to order herself another cup of hot chocolate.

"Your story's just too incredible to be fake," Harley said with a sigh when Natalia returned to the table. "And I've heard of Vizzini. He's vicious. Marina's also been rather distraught lately, even though she refuses to tell me why. It all makes sense, somehow." Harley shook her head. "Who woulda thought... Mallet... Just goes to show we should never judge a book by its cover, huh."

Natalia shrugged but did not comment.

"Why didn't you report it to the police?" Harley asked, then shook her head, cutting Natalia off before she could say anything. "Never mind. I know how the system works. Well, let me see what I can find out about Vizzini."

Natalia looked at Harley in surprise. It was one thing for Harley to believe her, and quite another for Harley to help her. "Olivia was going to go to Gus."

Harley shrugged. "Two heads are better than one, I suppose." Then she added wryly, "_Four_ had better be able to outwit _one_."

Natalia couldn't help but chuckle, suddenly feeling like a load had been lifted from her chest.

twitter: xenalvr  
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	9. Chapters 43 to 48

**Warnings and Disclaimers**: This AU story contains adult themes and language, and deals with the sex industry, which might not be to everyone's taste, so please do NOT proceed if you are not of age or if any of that might offend you. It is rated **NC-17**.

All characters from Guiding Light do not belong to me. All the other characters do, however, so please leave them alone. This story is set in an alternate universe, where Natalia Rivera's history and timeline are greatly altered. Most of Olivia Spencer's history remain intact at this point.

I've decided not to worry too much about pre-Otalia plotline discrepancy as this is an AU after all.

**Devil Ride**

by

xenalvr

**43**

Olivia hastily grabbed her purse and coat, and made her way to the hotel lobby. She hadn't seen Natalia the entire day, and was looking forward to doing so. She didn't want them to be late in picking Emma up from school either. She had told her daughter to stay with her teacher until Natalia and she came to get her; it was better to be safe than sorry, especially when they were up against someone who was mentally unstable.

She spied her car almost immediately. With one hand on the car door handle, Olivia scanned the hotel's vicinity. Moderately satisfied that she did not see anyone suspicious lurking around, she opened the car door and slid into the car, feeling the slight buzz of anticipation spike up in her tummy as she did so.

"Hi."

Olivia smiled at the shy, affectionate voice that greeted her. "Hey. How was your day?" she greeted, unconsciously leaning towards Natalia. Her smile deepened when Natalia kissed her on her cheek. She turned her face slightly and touched their lips together briefly, and was pleased to see a faint blush on Natalia's cheeks after she pulled away. "Hi," she said in a quiet voice, hoping to translate the happiness that she felt at seeing Natalia again in the single word.

"Stop it. We have to go get Emma," Natalia said, tearing her eyes away from Olivia's face.

Olivia widened her eyes as she strapped herself into her seat. "Stop what?" she asked in an innocent voice. She saw Natalia take a deep breath as she pulled away from the curb, and smiled to herself.

"Don't play dumb, Olivia. You know what you're doing," was Natalia's dry, amused response.

Olivia chose not to comment on that, and directed her attention to Natalia's maneuvering of her car, instead. It was such a sneaky thing to do, perving at Natalia this way, but Olivia couldn't help herself. She found herself considering changing her car to one with manual transmission, just so she could get to see Natalia shift the gearstick more often.

"Did you get to speak to Gus?"

Natalia's question shook Olivia out of her reverie. "I did. He said he'd see what he can do. I'm not sure what that means, exactly, but he sounded concerned, so..." Olivia shrugged, recalling her conversation with Gus earlier that day. "And you? How was your meeting with Harley?"

Olivia was surprised but glad when Natalia turned to her with a dimpled smile. "Really good! I like her. I think everything's gonna work out just fine."

"Wow, that's pretty positive. I'm glad," Olivia said, resting a hand on Natalia's thigh. "I'm glad you had a good day," she said again, this time more softly. She smiled when Natalia pulled her hand up to her lips for a quick kiss.

"I got something for you," Natalia said, gesturing for Olivia to reach behind her for something on the backseat.

"What is it?" Olivia asked, surprised that Natalia had had time to go shopping.

Natalia threw her a dirty look. "Like I'm gonna tell you. Open it!" she urged as she pulled up outside Emma's school. Emma was nowhere in sight.

Olivia quickly glanced at her watch and saw that they were a little early, so she focussed her attention on her gift. "Is it... something edible?" she asked, squinting at the big brown paper bag. She smirked when Natalia killed the car engine and shifted in her seat to face her with her arms crossed in front of her, looking rather exasperated. "Something I can wear?" she persisted, even though Natalia hadn't answered her first question.

"If you want, I can pour it all over you so you can wear it, and then lick it off of you," Natalia said with a slight tilt of her head and a glint in her eyes.

Olivia breathed in sharply. "Oh. Now that you've put it that way..." she murmured, feeling inordinately pleased that Natalia could turn the conversation on her like that. She opened the bag and peered into it. Then she chuckled. "Coffee!" she said in delight.

Natalia mirrored her smile. "Coffee seeds, a grinder, and something else," she said, sounding excited.

Olivia extracted two mugs from the bag and smiled. One read 'Good' and the other read 'Morning'. "Matching mugs?" she asked, amused. "Which one's mine?"

"I didn't think you could read before you had your coffee," Natalia teased, chuckling when Olivia glared at her. "I got two more mugs and a bag of hot chocolate mix in the back. They're for Emma and Rafe," Natalia said, hooking a thumb in the direction of the car trunk. "This way, I can make you proper coffee, and the kids can have hot chocolate with me."

Chuckling at Natalia's enthusiasm, Olivia put her presents back in the bag. "Thank you. That sounds lovely."

Natalia lowered her face a little. "I know it's not as expensive as the phone you got me..." she started saying.

Olivia immediately cut her off. "I don't want you to think that you have to buy me something in return."

Natalia met Olivia's eyes. "I know. What I was going to say is... I hope it's as thoughtful as your gift was to me."

"Oh." Olivia relaxed and smiled. "It is. And I'm glad you like the phone." She stroked Natalia's cheek softly. "Although, I'm not sure about the part where you get to pour coffee all over me..." she said huskily.

"Oh, you can lick it off of me first. I know you need your caffeine in the morning," Natalia said in a casually suggestive tone.

Olivia chuckled, then sighed at the mental image of her doing just that. "That sounds way better," she murmured, nodding approvingly. Their lips were about to touch when she caught sight of Emma bounding towards the car. "Emma's here," she said, quickly stealing a kiss before Emma clambered into the car. They turned simultaneously to greet her daughter.

"Mommy! Natalia! Miss Jennings said I'm amazing!" Emma crowed.

Olivia laughed. "That you are, my dearest. Come give us a kiss," she said.

Emma did as she was told, then began rambling about the things that had transpired during their rehearsal while she buckled her seatbelt under Olivia's watchful eyes.

Olivia shared a smile with Natalia before Natalia shifted in her seat and started the car. She watched Natalia look in the rearview mirror as she conversed with Emma while driving, and let the light conversation wash over her, joining in at appropriate moments. The feeling of contentment burgeoned in her when they all burst out in laughter at something funny Emma said her classmate did. As Olivia fought to catch her breath, she realised that this was everything she never thought she had always wanted.

Olivia quietly closed Emma's door behind her and padded across her suite to the bar counter, where Natalia stood arranging the coffee mugs so that all their handles were aligned. Emma's and Rafe's smaller mugs were white while theirs were black. She slid her arms around Natalia's waist from behind and sighed when Natalia naturally leaned back into her.

"They look so cute!" Natalia said, and the childlike delight in her voice made Olivia smile.

"Mm hm."

"Are you still looking to move into an apartment with Emma?" Natalia asked as she turned in the circle of Olivia's embrace.

"_Ye_..." Olivia started to say, then stopped. "I've decided to put that on hold because of what's happening. I think the Beacon's a safer place to be at the moment."

Natalia's expression turned sombre at that. Olivia mentally kicked herself for tainting their evening and quickly sought to redeem herself by saying, "Will you dance with me?" At Natalia's look of surprise, Olivia smiled. "This is one of my all time favourite tracks," she said, tilting her head a little at the music that was playing softly in the background.

"What is it?" Natalia asked, sliding her arms around Olivia's neck smoothly. At Natalia's easy acqueiscence to her request, Olivia found herself falling a little deeper for her.

"It's called 'All the Way'," Olivia said as she backed away from the bar counter and lowered her face so that their foreheads touched gently.

"It's nice," Natalia said softly as she swayed to the seductive melody and soothing male vocal with her eyes closed. "Sensual," she added after a while.

Olivia breathed in the warm air between Natalia's face and hers, and smiled faintly. The music, their swaying motion, and the two glasses of wine she had had during dinner were making her feel heady. She slowly slid her hands up and down Natalia's back, and sighed when she felt Natalia's soft lips brushing gently against hers. She drank in the feel of Natalia moving slowly against her, exploring her lips with utmost care, then she leaned into Natalia's hand that had snuck from behind her to cup her cheek. Their eyes met when they pulled apart slightly, and Olivia swallowed at the swirl of emotions in the dark eyes looking back at her.

"I can no longer remember a time I haven't felt this way about you," Olivia said softly, a little horrified when her voice cracked. Then Natalia smiled faintly back at her and touched their lips together again in response, and Olivia stopped thinking altogether.

**44**

Images of Olivia's eyes, lips, skin, curves, and limbs flashed before Natalia's mind's eye, causing her to close her eyes and breathe in deeply. Images of slanted lips, parted lips, seductively curved lips, incredibly soft lips; images of hooded eyes, sexy eyes, desire-filled eyes, _Olivia's_ eyes; memories of heated exchanges, husky murmurings of love and desire; memories of heated cores, slippery folds evident of arousal and lust-all of which made Natalia let out a soft whimper as she slid a soapy washcloth down the length of her body.

To her, Olivia was irresistable. Sometimes it just took one look, and she was putty. Natalia took a shaky breath, brought the washcloth up to her shoulder, slid it down her arm and back up. She tended to her other arm in a similar fashion, then placed the cloth on her chest while her other hand wandered past her belly. She let out a soft moan.

A strangled sound caused dark eyes to snap open in surprise. Natalia's heart rammed painfully against her ribcage at the realisation that she was no longer alone. "Olivia? God, you scared me!" Natalia pushed herself into a more upright position, then blushed furiously at what she had been about to do. "What are you doing here? I thought you were going straight to the office after you sent Emma to school."

"I left something here," Olivia said huskily from the bathroom doorway. "I'm sorry, the door was open and I... was looking for you..." she murmured guiltily. "I'm so sorry, Natalia. Do you want me to go?" Olivia asked, looking like she might bolt if Natalia said the word.

"No... I was just thinking 'bout you," Natalia said in a softer tone. She wasn't mad, just surprised. And now that her heart was no longer going a hundred miles an hour, a devious idea presented itself to her and made her insides flip in anticipation. "But you don't get to come closer, either," she said, biting back a grin when Olivia frowned.

"What? Why not?" Olivia asked, looking a tad confused.

"'Cos..." Natalia trailed off, slowly lifting a leg out of the bubbly bathwater and hooking it over the side of the tub, making Olivia's eyes narrow and lips part. "... you were spying on me." She lifted a finger when Olivia opened her mouth to say something, and continued, "So your punishment is... that you get to _watch_ but not _touch_."

"But Natalia," Olivia started to protest, only to be cut off by a lift of dark brows.

Natalia slowly slid the washcloth from her ankle up, amused and flattered that Olivia's eyes followed her every move. She exchanged a heated look with Olivia before gently cupped her breasts and began cleaning them thoroughly, letting out soft sounds of appreciation as she did so. She could feel Olivia's hungry gaze on her and it made her hands shake slightly. Then she bent her other leg at the knee under the soap bubbles, gave Olivia one last glance from under her lashes, closed her eyes and tilted her head back, pretending that she was alone in the bathroom again.

Knowing that Olivia was about to watch her pleasure herself, however, made Natalia's skin tingle and blood roar in her ears. She grabbed hold of the side of the tub with one hand and touched her other hand to her centre, finding her intimate spot with unerring accuracy. She began stroking herself boldly and caught her lower lip with her teeth.

Water shifted around Natalia as she moved, filling her head with sounds of its gentle ebb and flow. Natalia's mouth fell open and her other hand moved restlessly against the tub as the pleasure the touch brought her increased. She let out a soft whimper and her thighs tensed, amplifying the ache that was gathering in that area. Then came the moment she knew all too well-when the climb of the pleasurable ache brought her into the realm of mindless pleasure that she sought to remain in for as long as she could.

Her eyes flew open. It was then that she realised her breath was coming out in small spurts. Her gaze locked with that of Olivia's and the heat and lust reflected on Olivia's face made her groan from deep within. It took all of her willpower, but she still couldn't help closing her eyes and arching her back when she tipped over the edge.

Olivia had to remind herself to breathe. What she had left in the suite hadn't been something she had needed urgently, but she had been eager to use the legitimate excuse to swing by the suite so that she could see Natalia, and possibly steal a kiss or two before she went to work. Seeing a relaxed looking Natalia soaking in the bath with her eyes closed, lips parted, and head tilted back had been completely unexpected and wildly arousing. Witnessing Natalia touch and bring herself to fulfilment-_that_, she had no words for.

Olivia could hear her heart pounding in her head. Her mouth was dry, and she was breathing like she had just sprinted up the stairs to her suite. And while she was sure that being with Natalia would most probably shorten her lifespan, there was nothing she would do to change any bit of it because _every_ bit of Natalia was intriguing, exciting, tantalising, and so _goddamn_ attractive to her.

She wondered if she was allowed to move now, because if she didn't get to touch Natalia in the next minute or so, she was going to combust right there and then. What a field day it would be for the chambermaid then.

Olivia watched Natalia pull her leg back into the tub and slowly push herself up to a standing position when she came to. Olivia sucked in a breath at the sight of water cascading off Natalia's lithe body. When Natalia tilted her head and began to wring her dark tresses, Olivia thought it was quite possibly one of the sexiest things she had ever seen anyone do. The word 'hopeless' floated into Olivia's head, but she batted it away quickly; she had more important things to attend to at the moment for Natalia had stepped out of the tub and was making her way over to her.

"I'm not holding you up for anything, am I?" Natalia asked softly. She looked slightly flushed, moderately sated, and full of wayward intent.

Olivia swallowed, trying to work up some moisture in her mouth, and shook her head. "Nope."

"No important meetings to attend?" Natalia was smiling ferally now, and Olivia wanted to take her right there and then.

"Nope," Olivia croaked again.

"No important clients to meet?"

Olivia held her breath when Natalia's hands reached for the first buttoned button on her shirt. "Nope." Her voice sounded a little funny to her ears, but that could be because her ears were ringing.

"No hot secretary to fuck?"

"No -" Olivia frowned, then narrowed her eyes. "Natalia..."

"Poor Ms. Spencer," Natalia murmured, slowly working her way down Olivia's shirt. "Is that why you're here? Looking for some activity to occupy yourself with? Then you stumbled upon me using your bathroom, touching myself while I was fantasising about you. So what are you gonna do now, Olivia?" Natalia asked she pushed Olivia's shirt off of Olivia's shoulders. "You gonna finish what you started?"

Without waiting for a response, Natalia wound a hand around Olivia's neck and pulled Olivia's head down roughly, crushing their lips together. Olivia moaned deep in her throat and brought her hands up to Natalia's face, wanting to cradle her jaw, touch her hair, stroke her cheek. But before she could do any of that, Natalia pulled away, reached for a towel, and began drying herself like nothing had happened.

Olivia exhaled noisily through her nose and tried to collect her jumbled senses. Then she narrowed her eyes and wrapped her arms around a relatively dry Natalia from behind. "You drive me crazy, and I love you." Her eyes fluttered shut when Natalia leaned into her embrace and held onto her forearms. "You know I'm never letting you go, right?" she murmured.

"You might wanna reconsider. As much as I'd love to, I don't think I'm appropriately dressed to remain in this position forever," Natalia said laughingly.

Olivia chuckled and tightened her hold. "Nope, never letting you go. We can stay in this suite forever."

Natalia giggled and stroked Olivia's arms lightly. "I know a few defensive moves, you know. I can get out of this grip easy as pie."

"Really? I'd like to see you try," Olivia murmured. She felt Natalia take a breath and readied herself, her blood singing with either lust or anticipation-perhaps both. She was constantly amazed and humbled by Natalia and what she knew to survive in her world.

"Look, Wonder Woman!" Natalia exclaimed suddenly, making Olivia turn her head reflexively in the direction Natalia was pointing. Before she could ask Natalia what she was on about, Natalia slipped her hands under her forearms, pushed hard, and slipped out of her hold easily.

"Ooh, tricky," Olivia said, her eyes narrowing. She couldn't help the bark of laughter that escaped her however; Natalia had moved so quickly that she hadn't even realised that she had been had. "You're in for it now, woman," she growled.

Natalia flashed her a dimpled smile and Olivia sighed inwardly. "You know what they say," she said, taking a step backward. "Catch me if you can."

Trying to dress herself while running around was quite a feat, but one Natalia was determined to accomplish-at least until she got caught by Olivia. Each time she managed to slip something on, Olivia would growl in frustration and redouble her efforts to catch and undress her. She found that she liked this playful side to their relationship. It was something that she didn't have much chance to explore in her other relationships.

"Dammit, Natalia! You're making me feel my age!" Olivia said finally as she leaned against a wall, panting.

Natalia was laughing herself, trying to catch her breath. She had managed to put on her bra and a pair of tracksuit pants, and was currently scheming to get to a t-shirt. She pulled her damp hair back from her face and knotted it up; she had worked up a bit of sweat dodging Olivia and running around. Then she pouted while her brows furrowed. "Sorry baby," she cooed a little, then curved her lips up into an evil smile and said, "Maybe you should hit the gym more."

Natalia bit on her lower lip when she saw Olivia's eyes narrow dangerously. In the moment that she took to wonder if she had offended Olivia-because she really had nothing to complain about Olivia's physique or stamina-Olivia managed to knock the breath out of her lungs and had her pressed up against the wall.

Natalia gasped while her heart hammered away in her chest, then smiled wildly as she sucked in hungry breaths of air with her mouth. Her knotted hair came loose and fell down one of her shoulders in a twisted bunch. "Or maybe not," she acqueisced breathlessly, trying vainly to squirm out of Olivia's grasp. "You're strong," she murmured, giving Olivia's hands around her wrists on either side of her head quick glances.

Olivia was smiling ferally and breathing raggedly. Natalia's attention was drawn to their proximity and the feel of Olivia's bra-clothed breasts heaving against her own, and their pelvises and thighs pressed tightly against each other's. Olivia must have noticed the same thing too, because Natalia could see the green of her eyes darken perceptibly. Then Olivia shifted her thigh and slipped it between her legs, and Natalia's eyes fluttered shut for a brief moment at the intimate contact.

"You're fast and annoyingly slippery," Olivia growled softly before lowering her face and sinking her teeth into the soft skin on the crook of Natalia's neck, tearing a moan from Natalia as she sucked on it hungrily. "What do I do with you now that I've caught you?" she asked huskily after she pulled away.

Natalia hummed. The bit of her neck where Olivia had just tended to felt damp and a little sore. "Did you just give me a hickey?" she asked, still breathing a little hard. She wanted Olivia's mouth on her breasts, Olivia's teeth scraping across her nipples, Olivia's mouth _and_ teeth scoring hot, wet tracks down her torso, and preferably Olivia tending to the rest of her body in that similar fashion. Just the thought of that made Natalia's centre throb uncomfortably.

"I think I did. Now everyone'll know that you're mine," Olivia said, sounding smug as she scrutinised Natalia's neck.

Natalia narrowed her eyes and tried to capture Olivia's flesh with her teeth, but Olivia had somehow anticipated her move and shifted slightly so that she was just that bit out of reach of Natalia's teeth.

"Nuh uh," Olivia said playfully, tightening her hold on Natalia's wrists.

Natalia could see that her half-hearted attempts at trying to free herself from Olivia was arousing Olivia. Being held captive and struggling against Olivia's grip was doing the same to her. "Baby, I really need you to take me now," she finally rasped out. Her breathing was still ragged even though they had been standing still for a while now. She nuzzled Olivia's cheek and chin with her nose and temple, and felt a shiver of desire when Olivia let out a soft whimper. Then her head slammed back against the wall painfully when Olivia lowered her face and roughly took one of her breasts into the heated cavern of her mouth, uncaring of the flimsy fabric covering it.

Natalia tried to move her arms but Olivia didn't let her. She growled in frustration, hyper aware of her the dull, throbbing ache in her centre. She pressed down against Olivia's thigh for some relief, then growled again when Olivia removed her thigh from between her legs. "_Olivia_..." she whined.

"Oh, you think you can get away with teasing me this easily? No way in hell," Olivia husked out, breathing hot, damp air into Natalia's face as she spoke.

Just knowing that Olivia and she were sharing the same air excited Natalia. She groaned when Olivia punctuated her statement with a wet bite on her sensitive underarm. Olivia continued scraping her teeth across a heaving chest, causing Natalia to arch her back to offer more of herself to Olivia. Then she gasped at the ripping sound that reached her ears when Olivia took the flimsy fabric her bra was made of between her teeth and pulled.

"Sorry, I'll get you a new one," Olivia mumbled before sinking her teeth into the pebbled flesh of Natalia's aroused nipple, sending a direct spike of desire to a spot between Natalia's legs, making her gasp, whimper and squirm.

"Fuck, Olivia, let me touch you," Natalia breathed out. She gyrated her hips a little but found no relief in the move, so she struggled against Olivia again. Natalia thought she might go out of her mind when Olivia ignored her and shifted her attention to her other breast. Natalia's eyes rolled to the back of her head at the rough, hungry treatment of her breast. She didn't think that damp, scratchy fabric could feel this insanely good when crushed against and sucked along with her sensitive nipple.

Moisture dripped down Natalia's thighs under her tracksuit pants. A part of her was glad that she hadn't had the chance to put on underwear, but another part of her wondered if that extra fabric against her centre would provide her a bit more relief. "_Olivia_..." she growled again. "Baby, please, you're killing me here," she pleaded, then moaned when Olivia finally let go of her wrists.

Her hands found eager purchase in Olivia's silky hair as Olivia slid down the length of her, seemingly determined to consume every inch of her exposed skin with her lips, tongue and teeth. Natalia sank onto the floor now that Olivia's weight was no longer holding her up. She let Olivia pull her tracksuit pants off, and her eyes glazed over when she saw Olivia's nostrils flare. Then she watched Olivia slide her own pants off of herself and reached for the waistband of Olivia's underwear.

Olivia stepping out of her underwear from her vantage point on the floor was quite possibly one of the most erotic sights Natalia had ever seen. She could smell Olivia's arousal and it ripped an appreciative moan from her. "God, I want you so much," she murmured, her mind busy with all the different things she could do with Olivia to take her over the edge. There weren't enough minutes in a day, days in a week, and weeks in a year, to sate her appetite for Olivia.

"I need to taste you," Olivia said finally, her voice rusty from the lack of use. Natalia spread her legs in response, and heard Olivia moan. Then she reclined on her elbows and brought her legs up so that they were bent at the knees. After sharing one last searing look with Natalia, Olivia swung her body around and lowered herself onto her.

Natalia wasn't sure if Olivia's or her tongue made contact witth each other's core first, but that didn't matter. Nothing else mattered now that Olivia's unique taste enveloped her mouth and Olivia's soft, silky texture tantalised her tongue and lips. Nothing else mattered when she could make Olivia whimper and wriggle her hips in such a manner the same time Olivia was making her squirm against the floor. Nothing else mattered when she knew that as she climbed the precarious slope to fruition, the woman above her was conducting the same exact journey.

Natalia's legs began trembling uncontrollably, and the combination of Olivia's muffled cries, scent, taste and arousal made her clench her thighs and arch upwards. Just before mindless pleasure consumed her and rendered her useless, she was gratified that Olivia sank a little lower and sped up the movement of her hips, causing more friction between herself and Natalia's tongue. Then a kaleidescope of colours exploded behind Natalia's tightly squeezed eyelids, and she fervently hoped that Olivia was falling with her.

**45**

"Don't you need to get to work?" Natalia asked amidst tangled limbs and sweat slick bodies.

They had curled up against each other on the floor, and Natalia had wrapped her arms around Olivia from behind, cradling her and listening to her heartbeat slow down and even out. Natalia touched a finger to Olivia's shoulder and began trailing it down her upper arm and across her forearm, smiling faintly at the fine hairs it stirred on its track and the goosebumps that rose in its wake. She shifted a little and placed a soft kiss on Olivia's shoulder, lingering slightly as she breathed in the scent of Olivia's skin.

"In a minute. Can't move," came Olivia's disembodied voice. Natalia smirked softly and rubbed her cheek against Olivia's back. "C'mere," Olivia said, slowly turning herself onto her back and stretching out her arm. Natalia snuggled into Olivia's embrace and tucked herself in a padded, shallow groove just beside Olivia's heart. She smiled when she heard Olivia's sigh of contentment rumble through her body.

"I think I'm gonna call in sick today," Olivia announced after a long while.

Natalia gasped. "What would your boss say if she found out!"

Olivia chuckled. "I'll tell her my girlfriend rendered me useless for the day. Put strain on my heart when she touched herself in front of me, then made me run around chasing her like a loon, then sucked up all my energy while she put up a fight against me, then..." Olivia's voice dropped as she trailed off.

Natalia could hear the smile in Olivia's voice. She raised her face slightly with a mischievious glint in her eyes. "Then what?" she prompted. She couldn't resist planting a light kiss on Olivia's nose as she waited for her answer.

"Then she made my knees weak and caused me to lose my senses, so that I'm now reduced to a languid mess, completely unfit for work," Olivia said, making Natalia's smile widen at her less than graphic description of their intercourse. "Did you have any plans today?" Olivia asked, changing the topic.

Natalia shook her head, then stopped and thought. "I'm meeting Paul later to talk about paying for his tyres. I feel really bad about that," she said in a small voice.

Olivia blew out a breath. "It's unfortunate, but it's not exactly your fault," she reasoned with a frown.

"Well it kind of is..." Natalia said, sitting up. "If I hadn't seen him that day, or gone back to his place to see the room," she started saying, pushing her hair behind her ear.

"Then you virtually can't see or talk to anyone," Olivia cut in. "Because anyone you have any contact with is potentially in danger."

Natalia fell silent as the ugly truth of Olivia's statement hit her. It wasn't that the thought hadn't crossed her mind prior to this, or that she didn't worry about Olivia's and Emma's safety. In fact, the thought was ever present in the back of her mind, repressed because she had selfishly allowed herself to indulge in the newfound feelings of passionate and familial love. She hated that her association with them was putting them in danger, and that there was nothing she could do to keep the people she cared about safe. And now that Olivia had given voice to the repressed thought, a wave of guilt washed over her and her stomach lurched sickeningly.

She had inadvertently taken advantage of them; her seeking refuge in their warm and welcoming embrace had forced Olivia to halt her plans in life. Olivia couldn't move Emma and herself out of the Beacon like she had wanted to, and was afraid to spend too much time outside of the hotel, all because of her association with Natalia. Was this what her love boiled down to? Had she merely become a new and evolved version of Maria?

"Natalia?"

Natalia instinctively slid on her working persona and pasted a smile on her face. "Yes, you're right," she murmured agreeably. She touched a hand to her temple under the pretext of scratching it, but she was really trying to shield her eyes from Olivia. "Did you want to do something together?" she asked lightly as she pushed herself up from the floor.

"Well yes, unless you don't want to..." Olivia said, sounding a little uncertain.

Natalia flashed Olivia a quick smile and stretched out a hand to help her up. "Of course I want to," she said softly when Olivia's naked body slid up against hers, and the mask that she had just slid behind shifted a little. She cradled Olivia's face between her hands and tried to smile while something twisted in her chest. It was an odd and conflicting experience which she had no explanation for. "I just have to meet Paul later in the evening, that's all. You're welcome to join us."

"That's all right," Olivia said with a faint smile, relaxing visibly. "Have fun with Paul and let it not be said that I hog all your time."

Natalia raised her face and brushed her lips against Olivia's lightly. "So what do you wanna do now?" she asked, turning from Olivia to pick up their discarded clothing.

"Let's go for a drive out of Springfield," Olivia suggested, much to Natalia's surprise. "You must be sick of being stuck in the Beacon. We could pack a lunch and go somewhere, anywhere, for the day. We just have to be back in time to get Emma from school."

Natalia's other persona disintegrated in the warmth of Olivia's love and consideration. She took a deep, shaky breath and smiled sweetly. "That sounds absolutely wonderful."

Natalia's mood had lightened in proportion to the distance that they had put between Springfield and themselves. Olivia lifted the stick of olives from her martini and brought it to her lips thoughtfully. It had been a stroke of brilliance to have suggested the impromptu field trip. They had taken silly pictures of each other and of their surroundings-pictures, Olivia knew, that were going to be looked at repeatedly by them both, as well as by a complaining Emma when she found out that they had gone on an adventure without her.

Paul had come to meet Natalia at the Beacon, and they were hanging out somewhere in the hotel. Emma was with Jane, using the indoor pool. And Olivia, well, she was having a lonesome drink, trying to think up of a plan to rid them all of Mallet's malevolent presence. But her mind kept skipping back to her day with Natalia, which they had spent laughing and running about in the cold, crisp air, seemingly without a care in the world. It put a smile on her face.

_"Thank you for being so good to me,"_ Natalia had said quietly at one point, after they had exhausted their playfulness. They had been sitting on the bonnet of the car, looking out at a random body of water that they had stumbled upon along the way.

That Natalia no longer questioned why Olivia was good to her had gladdened Olivia.

Then Natalia had turned to her and said, _"I've never been loved the way I'm loved by you."_ The seriousness of her look and simplicity of her statement had robbed Olivia's breath for an instant, then sent her heart tripping over itself.

She hadn't known how to respond to that, so she had smiled and leaned back on the car windshield instead, soaking in the bit of sun that had peeked out from behind the clouds and enjoying the peace that loving and being loved by Natalia had brought her, despite the circumstances. It was like being in the eye of a cyclone; everything around them could be smashed into smithereens, and Olivia's heart would still be thankful if she had Natalia next to her.

In a way, Olivia could imagine how Mallet felt. She herself couldn't be sure that she wouldn't go a little crazy if Natalia suddenly decided that she didn't want to be with her anymore. While it was true that Natalia had never been in an emotional relationship with Mallet, she had shared a part of herself with him, and him with her-so much so that he had fallen in love with her.

But he wasn't fully rational. And while Olivia would rail out and possibly self-destruct if Natalia did leave her for someone else, she would ultimately want Natalia to be happy and endeavour to move on with her own life. No, there was no way she could compare Mallet to herself.

Olivia finished her drink and motioned for another. Then her cell went off and she put it to her ear. "Hey Gus," she greeted smoothly. "I'm at the Beacon bar." She nodded her thanks to the bartender who placed her drink before her and listened intently to what Gus was saying. "Sure, I'll be here," she said finally before snapping her phone shut.

Blowing out a breath, Olivia took a sip of her drink and steeled herself for what was coming. This was one of the few times in her life where she knew what she wanted and who she loved, and she was prepared to do whatever it takes to protect what was hers.

**46**

The Beacon hotel, with its 89 guestrooms, restaurant and bar, in and outdoor pools, gym, ballrooms and conference rooms, did not provide too many nooks and crannies that were out of the public eye. But after extensive exploring, Natalia and Paul managed to find themselves a premium spot on the hotel rooftop. Periodically giggling and exchanging sly glances, the duo had made their way onto the roof, careful not to spill the jug of vodka cranberry mix that they had brought along with them on their little adventure.

"Look at that!" Paul exclaimed in a voice full of wonder when they were faced with the skyline of Springfield in the dusk. He spread his arms around on either side of him.

Natalia took a deep breath and exhaled loudly with a faint smile on her lips. "Yeah," she agreed softly. She took a straw into her mouth and sucked at the drink before handing the jug over to Paul.

"Bet you're thinking of Ms. Spencer right now," Paul said when he took the jug from Natalia, brown eyes twinkling.

Paul's insistence at calling Olivia 'Ms. Spencer' never failed to amuse Natalia. It was kinda sexy, actually, to hear Olivia being referred to as that. "What are you now, a mind reader?" Natalia asked, for she was, in fact, thinking of Olivia and how she could surprise her with a romantic rooftop meal one night.

"No, just a fellow romantic," Paul said with a smirk. He gently pushed dirty blond hair away from his eyes with a finger. "I was thinking of Greg," he revealed with a conspiratorial wink.

Natalia bit back a grin. "So, I wanted to talk to you about your car," she said, her smile fading. "I feel really bad about what happened and I'd like to pay for your tyres to be replaced."

Paul frowned. "Don't be silly. You don't know that it's because of you..."

Natalia shook her head. "It had to be Mallet. He sent Olivia a nasty present that very same day." She had told Paul a little about Mallet when they came down from Paul's apartment to find two of his car tyres slashed. Then she had rushed off after receiving a call from Olivia.

"To tell you the truth, it's not the first time that something like this has happened," Paul confessed. Natalia looked at him in slight confusion. "My car's been vandalised before. Hate crime," he said with a shrug. He sucked on the jug of vodka mix solemnly.

"That..." Natalia stuttered out, slightly choked up with righteous fury, "That's horrible! I'm so sorry, Paul."

Paul shrugged again and handed Natalia the jug. "Ignorant, intolerant people are stupid," he stated blandly. "Whatevs. I probably make better money than all of them anyway. So I went out and bought myself a new car! It was a good day," he said with a wide grin. Natalia felt a warm rush of affection for him. "So you see, it could be your crazy stalker, but it could very well be someone else. I can't let you pay for the replacement; it's not like you're rich, even if you're dating Olivia Spencer."

"How about we split the bill? I'll feel better if you let me contribute," Natalia persisted. "And I do have my own savings, even if it's not a lot. I can afford a tyre," she said wryly.

Paul rolled his eyes and smiled. "Fine. Only because it'll make you feel better,' he said, wagging a finger at her. Then he caught her eyes. "Thank you, Natalia."

Natalia returned his smile. "You're welcome." She took another sip of the vodka mix and exhaled loudly. "Everything that's happened since I met Olivia has been so unexpected." She turned to gaze at Paul's profile, taking in his angular jawline and a rather prominent nose. Even though Paul was well muscled, he possessed a warm, gentle energy. Natalia supposed that was one of the reasons why she felt so comfortable around him. She couldn't understand why some people could be so mean to someone they didn't even know.

"I'm glad I met you, Paul," she said finally. "You're a good person. And anyone who judges you because of who you love, well, fuck 'em."

"I'll toast to that!" Paul said cheerily, shifting closer to Natalia so that they could bump straws and drink from the jug between them simultaneously. Then they looked at each other and snickered, enjoying each other's light, easy company.

"That's all I could get my hands on," Gus said as he hovered around Olivia, who was scanning through the document on her laptop screen. "I had to hack into the system to get it. I don't think anyone noticed," he said uncertainly, pulling at his shirt collar with a finger.

Olivia spared Gus a grateful glance. "Thanks for doing this, Gus," she murmured even though she was starting to feel a little annoyed at his constant reminders of how much trouble he had gone through to get her this information. She held back her sarcasm, however, for he didn't have to do what he did. So if repeated thanks was what he wanted, then she would grant him that much.

"That's okay. I hope there's something in there that's useful to your cause," he said with a heavy sigh. "I still think you should convince Natalia to report this to the police instead of taking it in your own hands, though."

"Would the police believe an ex-hooker over a cop?" Olivia asked bluntly as she swivelled in her chair to meet Gus's eyes with her own in a straightforward stare. She watched his mouth open and shut without emitting a single sound. She nodded briskly. "Thought so."

Gus scratched his stubbled chin. "What are you gonna do with this anyway? You're not thinking of contacting Mallet's enemies? Might I remind you that his enemies are more dangerous than him?"

Olivia chewed on her lower lip as she returned her attention to the screen. It was impossible to concentrate with Gus around. She would have to continue after he left. As she reached over to close the window, her eyes caught sight of something that made her frown. "Trent R. Bedwin?" she read out loud.

Gus leaned over her shoulder and squinted at the screen. "Yeah, that would be Mallet's handler." Olivia shifted slightly to her right to maintain a distance between Gus and herself. "Scroll down," he instructed her, then nodded when she did so. "Yup, it's Mallet's handler," he affirmed.

Olivia cleared her throat. "Lemme get out of this chair for a minute. I wanna grab a drink," she said as she pushed her chair backwards, blowing out a soft breath when he moved away from her. "Would you like one too?" she offered.

"Um, sure," Gus said. "What are you having?"

"Martini," Olivia said distractedly. "Are you driving?" she asked, shooting him a look.

Gus nodded, then cleared his throat. "I could stay..." he said, trailing off. At Olivia's raise of brow, he shrugged his shoulders with a boyish smile. "Have you had dinner?"

Olivia blinked, then continued mixing herself a drink. "No, I haven't. But I've got dinner plans. Sorry, Gus," she said benignly. "I'm making yours really weak so you'll be all right to drive, okay?" It wasn't really a question, so she didn't wait for an answer before she prepared his drink.

"Thanks, Olivia," Gus murmured as he took his drink from her, lightly brushing the back of her hand with his own.

Olivia gave him a small smile. "You're welcome. Thanks again, Gus. I'll look through the files and go from there." She drank deeply from her glass, then gave a soft exclamation. "I have to go, Gus. Emma's babysitter must be wondering where I am. And I'm sure Harley and the boys are waiting for you."

Gus shook his head. "Harley's working tonight. The boys are with Buzz." Then he threw his drink back and blew out a breath. "I should go get them," he said with a nod. "Well. Thanks for the drink."

"Bring Harley and the boys to the Beacon for dinner. On me," Olivia said with a winning smile. It was the least she could do after what he had done for Natalia and her. "And about spending the weekend at the Beacon..." she started saying.

"Oh, right. That. Well, I haven't had the chance to speak to Harley about it yet," he hedged. "We haven't had much time together of late." He scratched his stubbled chin and gave Olivia a sheepish smile. "But I'll do it soon, I promise."

Olivia pinched the bridge of her nose while stifling her irritation. He was obviously not interested in letting Natalia spend time with Raphael. "You know, Natalia's Rafe's biological mother. She has the right to see him."

"I understand. I've just been busy, Liv. I'll do better, okay?" Gus said, holding his hands up before him in a gesture of surrender. When she gave him a grudging smile, he blew out a breath. "Whew, you really make someone work to stay in your good books, huh?" he said jokingly.

Olivia's eyes flashed. She had had enough of Gus for one night. "How would you know? You've never been there," she said, masking her sarcasm with a smile. He looked uncertain, and she was so very bored. She rolled her eyes discreetly. "Thanks for coming over, Gus. I'll walk you out," she said, opening her office door. She waited for him to sweep past her before she pulled the door shut and locked it before depositing the key in her pocket.

When they reached the lobby, Olivia walked Gus to the entrance. Before she could say her goodbyes, he jerked his head. "There's Natalia." Olivia followed his line of sight and her lips immediately curved up in a pleased smile. "Who's that with her?" he asked.

"Paul. A... friend," she said hesitantly. Her smile widened when she saw Natalia giggling at something Paul was saying. He was openly ogling at her neck and she was pulling at her collar laughingly, swatting his hands away. Olivia figured that he was teasing Natalia about the hickey on her neck; it was really quite obvious in the bright amber lighting, even from where she was standing.

"They look pretty chummy. Maybe romance is in the air, huh?" Gus said, looking back at Olivia. "She's not... it's not a client, is it?" he asked uncertainly, causing Olivia's countenance to darken considerably. He lifted his hands up before him again and hastily said, "Sorry, that was a stupid thing to say, wasn't it?"

Olivia did not bother gracing his question with an answer. "Natalia's past is exactly that. Her past," she said in a cold voice.

"Right. Well then, I'd better get going," Gus said. "Sorry Liv, I didn't mean -"

"Please don't call me that," Olivia snapped, not liking how familiar he sounded when he called her that. At his confused look, she sighed. "Don't call me 'Liv'. Only family get to call me that." Then, so as not to hurt his feelings further, she explained, "I've got some bad memories tied to that nickname."

Gus nodded and managed to look contrite. "Okay."

"Look, thanks for everything, Gus. I truly appreciate it. You've been a good friend," Olivia said finally. Her gaze searched Natalia out unconsciously, and her heart skipped a beat when their eyes met. "Drive safe, okay?" she said distractedly.

"I will. And I'll give you a call soon about next weekend. Probably after Thanksgiving, if that's okay," Gus said, but Olivia wasn't paying much attention anymore, for Natalia was making her way over to them with Paul beside her.

Olivia followed Natalia's purposeful gait with her eyes, sighing inwardly at the way Natalia's high ponytail swayed, the way her dimples framed her smile, the way her dark eyes were warm with affection. When the duo reached Gus and herself, Olivia included Paul in her greeting smile.

"Paul, this is Gus Aitoro. Gus, this is Paul..." Olivia trailed off, not knowing Paul's last name.

"Bedwin," Paul said helpfully. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Aitoro," he said, stretching out a hand to shake Gus's.

"Please, just call me Gus," Gus said politely. "Hey Natalia, you're looking well," he said with a smile. "I'd better get going."

"Tell Harley and Rafe I said hi," Natalia said with a soft smile. Gus gave her a surprised look, then nodded.

"I'm gonna go too, I think!" Paul said, looking from Olivia to Natalia. "Have a good night, Ms. Spencer. I'll talk to you soon, Natalia," he said, leaning over to give Natalia a peck on her cheek, which she received easily. To Olivia's amusement, Paul reached out a hand to shake hers firmly.

"See you, Paul. Let's do that dinner thing soon," Olivia said warmly. Anyone Natalia liked and trusted was someone she held in with high regard. Natalia also seemed a lot more relaxed and happy after her time with Paul, and anyone who contributed to Natalia's happiness was a definite keeper.

Olivia smiled when Natalia hooked an arm through hers as they watched Paul and Gus leave the Beacon. "Had a nice time?" Olivia asked softly as they walked towards the elevators together.

"Oh yeah. You?" Natalia asked, raising her face slightly.

Olivia smirked at the pink in Natalia's cheek. "Did you and Paul drink a lot? Is he good to drive?" she asked, smiling indulgently at Natalia as the elevator doors slid close.

Natalia shook her head. "We just shared a jug of vodka cranberry. He's well built. He'll be fine," she said confidently. "Anyway, I think I had more to drink than he did," she added, then hiccupped. "Sorry," she said, shielding her mouth with a hand, giggling softly.

"You're adorable," Olivia murmured, nuzzling Natalia's temple with her nose, then smiled when Natalia pressed soft lips against her neck. "Let's go get Emma. I'm starving."

**47**

Olivia and Natalia were met with Emma's delighted countenance when the elevator doors slid open. A relieved looking Jane stood behind her. After apologising for being late, compensating Jane adequately for her time, and swinging by the kitchen to place their dinner order personally, Olivia went to look for Natalia and Emma at the Beacon restaurant.

She saw Emma chattering away, basking in Natalia's undivided attention, eliciting light chuckles and playful responses from her. Olivia found herself slowing down her approach so that she could observe them from a distance.

Emma was a bubbly, affable child who seemed to get along with everyone; to have her take to Natalia so quickly hadn't come as a surprise to Olivia. She was fortunate to be blessed with Emma who, amongst many other things, was her saving grace, her chance to be the mother that she never gotten to be with Ava, and the reason why she tried to be a better person.

Olivia smiled when Natalia leaned across the table to tweak Emma's nose. Her smile widened into a toothy grin when Emma squealed and tried to bat Natalia's hand away. Then Emma caught sight of her staring and called out for her happily, causing Natalia to turn her head. Olivia resumed her trek at a normal speed, conscious of dark eyes roaming the length of her body in that short time.

"Hey baby," Olivia said to Emma as she slid into the seat beside her. Then she looked pointedly at Natalia and repeated herself in a lower tone, smiling widely when Natalia ducked her head a little with a shy smile.

"Is Natalia your baby too, Mommy?" Emma asked, looking from Natalia to Olivia.

Olivia chuckled and caught Natalia's eyes. "Yes, you're _both_ my babies," she affirmed, dipping her head to plant a kiss on Emma's crown.

"Natalia's a _big_ baby!" Emma said, giggling. Olivia was amused to see Natalia blushing slightly as she laughed along.

"Well, your Mommy's _my_ baby, so she's a big baby too!" Natalia retorted, sticking out her tongue at Olivia, whose heart flipped in her chest at being referred in such a manner in front of Emma. Olivia was about to say something when a shadow fell over their table, causing Olivia and Natalia to look up.

"Hello. Its Natalia, right?"

Olivia recognised the mayor of Springfield, Doris Wolfe, immediately and was surprised that Natalia had made her acquaintance. Doris and she ran in some of the same circles but she didnt know much about the woman outside of what she had heard through the grapevine, which wasnt much.

"Mayor Wolfe, how are you?" Natalia greeted with a polite but distant smile.

"Good, how have you been?" Doris asked before turning to Olivia with a cursory nod. Olivia. Then she returned her gaze to Natalia and asked, "Is the officer still disturbing you?"

Surprised that Doris knew about Mallet, Olivia's brows rose. She looked at Natalia, who was now expressionless and felt so distant that Olivia could hardly believe that she was the same person from a moment ago. "Olivia, Emma and I were just about to have our dinner, mayor. Are you on your way in or out?" Natalia asked smoothly.

Olivia watched Doris lift a brow and shoot Emma and Olivia a quick look. "In. I'm having my hebdomadal dinner with an acquaintance."

Olivia felt Emma tap her on her shoulder and leaned over a little distractedly. "Yes baby?" she whispered softly. She kept her eyes on Doris and Natalia, however.

"What's heb... heb... what she just said, Mommy?" Emma asked in a loud whisper.

Having heard her question, Doris directed her gaze to Emma and smiled rather mildly. "Heb-do-mad-al," she said slowly, breaking down the syllables for the girl. "It means weekly." Then she looked at Olivia with a shrug. "Book club. Word of the wee- I mean, hebdomad. Word of the _hebdomad_," she corrected herself, grimacing slightly. "Gotta use it as much as I can. It's a pain in my a -" At Olivia's look of warning, Doris cleared her throat without finishing her sentence.

A small amount of warmth trickled back into Natalia's face after the small exchange. "I'll come over to say hi if you're still around after we finish our dinner, mayor," Natalia said with a smile. "And thanks for your concern."

"No problem," Doris said with a shrug. She met Olivia's eyes and said, "Gotta check in with the voters once in a while." Then she swept a quick glance around the table and took a step back. "Have a good evening, ladies."

Before Olivia could ask Natalia how she knew Doris Wolfe, she felt another tap on her shoulder, and she turned to her daughter. "Yes, 'Bean?"

"What's that word the mayor used earlier?" Emma asked, then opened and closed her mouth silently, trying to pronounce the word.

Olivia frowned; her mind drew up a blank. "Uh..." She looked to Natalia for help, and got a mirthful shrug in reply. She scratched at her temple. I dont know. I might have to get back to you on that, she said at last, in a regretful tone.

"The mayor's smart," Emma said in a solemn voice.

Olivia and Natalia exchanged a bemused look. "That's why she's the mayor, 'Bean!" Olivia said even though she didn't particularly agree with the logic. "Now who's hungry?" she asked, changing the topic and getting two eagerly raised hands in response. "All right, let's see what I can do to feed my two babies," Olivia said, making Emma giggle and Natalia roll her eyes at her. She looked around and caught a waitperson's eye, then sat back down. The basket of garlic bread and three plates of spaghetti and meatballs that Olivia had ordered previously appeared in front of them within minutes.

"I might not be as smart as the mayor, but can she make food appear with just one look?" Olivia asked with a smug look on her face.

Emma giggled. "Mommy's the best!" she said, flinging her arms around Olivia.

Olivia looked over at Natalia, waiting for her affirmation. "Olivia," she heard Natalia murmur, "... the biggest baby of us three." She picked up a piece of garlic bread and tossed it onto Natalia's lap, smirking when Natalia yelped loudly and retaliated with a piece of her own. Then both of them turned around to a shifty looking Emma who looked like she was about to reach for a piece of garlic bread herself, and shook their heads at her.

"But..." Emma protested.

"One day, Emma, you'll be a grown up. And that's when you can toss garlic bread around," Olivia said in a sagely tone.

"That's not fair!" Emma said, throwing her hands up in the air.

Olivia chuckled. "Eat up, 'Bean. Never gonna grow bigger if you don't eat." She chuckled at the look on Natalia's face, then sighed and leaned over to kiss Emma. "Okay. You can toss a piece. But just one," she said seriously.

Emma looked at the garlic bread in her hand, then at Natalia and Olivia, and chose to put it in her mouth.

Olivia wandered into the bathroom after putting Emma down. She glanced at her reflection and couldn't help but grin at it. She began removing her make-up and was halfway through it when she caught sight of Natalia hovering at the bathroom doorway in the mirror. She locked eyes with Natalia's reflection and the friendly greeting that was at the tip of her tongue died in her mouth. Her right hand stopped wiping at her face and lowered as she watched Natalia's approach without turning her head, sighing a little when Natalia slid her arms around her waist.

Her breath caught when Natalia's hands snaked up her body, working slowly but efficiently to unbutton her shirt. It was thrilling to be with Natalia; she never really knew what to expect, only that it would be amazing whatever it was. She tried to turn around when her shirt slipped off her shoulders, but Natalia didn't let her, forcing her to witness her own undressing in the mirror. She let out a small sigh when her breasts came free, then moaned in her throat at the feel of Natalia's tanned hands cupping them and testing out their weight. Then the flat of Natalia's palms connected with her nipples and that, combined with the erotic sight of Natalia's hands on her body, made her whimper and sent a wave of tingles down her body to settle between her legs.

She mewled in protest when the tantalising touch on her breasts stopped and Natalia's hands slid lower. But then she saw where Natalia's hands were going and fell silent. Her skirt fell off next, leaving her clad in only her underwear. Olivia held her breath as Natalia's hands hovered around the low waistband of her underwear, then quickly expelled it when Natalia hooked her thumbs on either side of her hips and slowly inched the garment down until it slid down her legs.

Stark naked, Olivia scrutinised her body in the mirror and began to feel a little insecure. Then she caught sight of Natalia raking her body with a ravenous gaze and her insecurities died away. When Natalia put her hands on her breasts again, Olivia covered them with her own and followed their circular motions closely. It made her whimper and drop her head back, but she could not bear to tear her eyes away from the moving picture in the mirror. Seeing her wanton expression reflected back at her made her squeeze her thighs together in the effort to contain herself.

A brush of hot air on the back of her neck made her tremble. Then the combination of soft lips, sharp teeth and wet tongue on the same spot dragged a moan from her. Had they already had sex that day? It was too long ago. She needed Natalia again. She needed Natalia bad.

Natalia was moving with such slow intent it was driving Olivia crazy. If Natalia would actually put her hands between her legs, she would find out for herself just how ready Olivia was. But Natalia's hands were nowhere near where she needed them to be. They were still tending to her breasts while her mouth worked down her neck, past her shoulder blades, and down her back. Olivia braced herself against the sink with her hands. She could see herself breathing raggedly. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes were heavy, and her lips were parted; seeing herself this aroused aroused her even more, if it made any sense.

"Natalia..." she said hoarsely, hardly believing that it was her voice that sounded. She cleared her throat and tried again. "Oh Natalia..." Olivia took a deep breath and brought her hands up again to cover Natalia's, urging them to move quicker, harder. Her back was hot and wet where Natalia's lips were, and cool and damp where her lips had been. "I need to see you," she murmured, turning her head slightly.

Natalia's eyes met hers, then dropped to her lips. Olivia licked her own lips in anticipation and twisted even more to meet Natalia's lips when they neared. One of Olivia's hands flew up to tangle in dark tresses, holding Natalia's head firmly in place; she hungered for the intimate contact-the feel of Natalia's tongue sliding against hers, stirring up all sorts of wonderful feelings in the pit of her stomach.

Olivia could hear a cell phone ringing somewhere in the suite, but she ignored it. Emma was safely in bed next door and anyone else could wait. "Emma," she murmured hazily, breaking the kiss as she struggled to speak. "Door... locked?"

"Locked. Barred. Thrown away the key," Natalia replied before crushing their lips together again, causing Olivia to moan deep in her throat at the heated roughness of the kiss. "I like your hair this length," Natalia said breathily when their kiss ended. Dark eyes roamed her face, making Olivia ache with the desire reflected back at her. "You're so beautiful."

"Take me to bed, Natalia," Olivia said in a low voice. Her legs were feeling weak and trembling a little, and she wasn't sure just how much longer they could hold her up. Her eyelids felt heavy, as did her body, and her insides were one big throbbing mess. "Take me to bed and fuck me."

The incessant ringing was annoying. It would stop for a minute or two, then start up again. Sometimes Natalia wouldn't hear it, but when she did, it would disrupt what she was doing. Natalia growled in frustration as she reluctantly tore her lips away from Olivia's neck. "I'm sorry, I can't concentrate when that damn thing keeps going off," she said, pushing her hair away from her face. "Do you mind if I go get it?"

"Good idea. I don't want Emma to get woken up by it. It might be something urgent... it's been ringing for a while now," Olivia said, dropping her head back on the pillow with a sigh.

Natalia decided to press another lingering kiss on Olivia's pouty lips before she climbed out of bed. Olivia's lips were incredibly soft and accommodating. A thrill of desire shot through her body at Olivia's complete lack of resistance. She took a full lower lip into her mouth and sucked on it gently before covering Olivia's mouth with her own and tangling their tongues together. She felt Olivia's hand snake up her body and around her shoulders, and she responded by cupping a breast and thumbing a nipple to erection.

Mesmerised by the sight of an aroused Olivia writhing underneath her body, Natalia quickly forgot what she had said she was going to do. She cradled Olivia's face with one palm and rubbed their noses together, smiling softly in response to Olivia's breathless smile.

"Natalia..." Her name brought into being by Olivia's voice sent a shiver down Natalia's neck. "I love you..."

If living her life exactly the way she did was the only way she could get to this point in time, then Natalia would do it all over again. She trailed her fingers up and down the length of Olivia's body, loving the way Olivia sounded and reacted to her touch. But before their lips met again, the ringing tone sounded again, making both Olivia and her groan.

"I'm smashing that damn thing," Natalia muttered under her breath, and Olivia let out a soft chuckle. She slid off of Olivia and the bed, and padded out of the bedroom after pulling a robe on. Her cell was lying quietly on the low coffee table, so she began hunting for Olivia's cell, and was confused when the audio search led her to a slim box on the mantelpiece. Frowning at it, Natalia almost dropped it when it began vibrating and ringing in her hands again. She quickly opened it, wondering if it might belong to Jane.

A missed call message lit up the screen on the phone, informing her that 23 calls had gone unanswered. She lifted the cell out of the box and a card dropped out. Natalia flinched and her stomach lurched nastily when her eyes fell upon the words, _"To hear your voice again. TC."_. She took a shaky breath, turned the phone off, and went back into the bedroom.

**48**

Olivia left Natalia in the suite with a slumbering Emma while she stormed her hotel, looking for answers. To have their sanctuary infiltrated like that wasn't just unacceptable; it was appalling and she felt violated, not unlike the time when she thought her room was broken into by Phillip. Just the thought of Mallet's presence in her abode made her feel physically ill.

When she found out what happened, she would make sure that someone paid for this. She didn't know how Mallet had managed to get to the rooms without a keycard. She supposed he could have followed a guest up; every room at the Beacon was occupied. Had he checked into the Beacon under an alias? She would have to brief her staff and let them know to call security the moment they laid eyes on Mallet. She didn't care that he was a cop; she owned this hotel and she reserved the right to refuse anyone she damned well pleased entry. She could kick herself for not having done that already, for being complacent that he could not touch them in their suite at the Beacon.

Olivia called the staff on duty into her office one by one to ask if they knew anything about the box, and had Greg pull up and go through the CCTV recording for the level her suite was on. In the end, a lanky fellow by the name of Russell said that he had received the box from a well-dressed gentleman.

"He had Ms. Rivera's first and last name, Ms. Spencer," Russell said, looking a little nervous but defensive. "It's always been the hotel practice to make sure the guests get messages or gifts delivered to them even if the sender doesn't know the room number the guest is in. I'd planned to send it to the Concierge for it to be collected if neither of you were in the room. I didn't give the bellboy access to your room, Ms. Spencer, and I didn't disclose Ms. Rivera's room number to the gentleman even though he requested for it." Russell cleared his throat uncomfortably. "I also got him to open the box to verify that the gift was indeed what he said it was before I proceeded with his request."

Olivia pinched the bridge of her nose. She couldn't fault his actions. "Which bellboy?" she asked at last.

"Samuels, Ms. Spencer. Jon Samuels," Russell said, sounding a little relieved that the heat was off his back.

Olivia picked up her phone and requested for the bellboy to be located and sent up to her office before dismissing Russell.

While Olivia waited for the bellboy Samuels to come to her, her gaze fell on her laptop and a sudden thought came to her, causing her stomach to lurch nastily. Pushing her chair back hastily, Olivia stood up. She was sure that she had locked her office door behind her earlier, but she didn't recall unlocking it when she came back in. In fact, she _couldn't_ have unlocked it because the key to her office was lying in the pocket of her blazer, which was draped across the back of a chair in her suite.

Not finding anything out of place in her office, Olivia hurried over to her laptop and booted it up. For the life of her, she couldn't remember if she had logged off from it before ushering Gus out of her office.

A knock sounded on her door, interrupting what she was doing. Olivia blew out a frustrated breath, raked a hand through her hair, and was reminded once again that she looked less than professional in a hastily pulled on T-shirt and a pair of old jeans. It couldn't be helped, however; having to deal with this was the last thing she wanted, and she fervently wished that she was back in the suite with Natalia.

"Come in," she called out, schooling her face into a smooth mask when a stout older man entered her office. "Samuels?"

The man nodded. "Yes, Ms. Spencer."

"Do you recognise this box?" she asked, showing him the slim black box that held Mallet's gift.

Samuels looked at the box and nodded again. "Yes Ma'am, I do. One of the guys from Reception told me to bring it up to your room." He met Olivia's stare and swallowed before averting his eyes and continued hurriedly. "He told me to see if either you or Ms. Rivera was in. I was supposed to bring it back to him if neither of you were in, Ma'am."

"Well, we certainly didn't receive this from you," Olivia said, trying to keep the annoyance from her voice. "How did you get into my suite?"

Samuels's eyes widened. "No Ma'am, I didn't. No, a young lady opened the door to your suite. I believe she's Miss Spencer's babysitter?" Olivia rubbed her face with the palms of her hands and blew out a frustrated breath. "I'm sorry, Ms. Spencer. Did I do something wrong?" the poor man asked, wiping at his forehead.

Olivia fumed, but not at her employee. "No Samuels. You didn't. Thank you, you can go now."

Jane had been in such a hurry earlier that she must have forgotten to tell her about receiving the box-not that Olivia could have done anything about it then. Jane was a good enough babysitter but she didn't appear to be too bright at times. Olivia would have to emphasise to Jane the importance of not letting Mallet, as well as Phillip, anywhere near Emma.

At that, Olivia snorted despite herself. Trust Natalia and her to _both_ have psychotic exes stalking them. Come to think of it, it was because she had thought she was stalked by Phillip that her path had crossed Natalia's. Then Alan Spaulding had unknowingly brought Natalia back into her life after she had left Chicago. And now Mallet was a big part of the reason why their relationship had evolved so quickly. She wondered if all three men would find it as amusing and entertaining as she did if she sat them down one day to thank them for bringing Natalia and her together.

Sweeping her nonsensical musings aside, Olivia returned her attention to the matter on hand. It was a relief to find out that Mallet hadn't been in the suite or had gone anywhere near it. She walked over to her laptop, entered her password, and waited for the screen to load.

A sickening feeling enveloped Olivia when she realised that she couldn't find the document Gus had given her anywhere. She pulled the laptop closer and ran a search for it. Gus and she had deleted Gus's copy of the document after they had transferred the information to her laptop, so Gus would have to hack into the system again for the information if she had lost it. Something told her that he wouldn't be partial to that idea.

Just what the hell was going on? Who was doing this? Were they only going against Mallet or was there a greater evil at play here?

"Goddamn sonofabitch!" Olivia swore loudly. It wasn't fair going up against a ghost, like Natalia had said so long ago in their hotel room in Chicago. It made her want to tear her hair out, throw something, scream. After she called Greg to pull up the CCTV recording for the corridor outside her office as well and told him the timeframe that she wanted him to focus on for both recordings, she slammed the phone down hard and growled loudly. Then she threw a pen across her desk, watched it skid, noted that it was a pathetic attempt at relieving the frustration in her, and slumped back down in her chair.

After the space of a few heartbeats, Olivia took a deep breath and straightened herself in her chair before picking up the phone to dial the extension number to her suite. The least she could do to was to let Natalia know that she and Emma were safe there, that Mallet hadn't broken into the room after all. She would have to deal with this other problem herself.

Olivia found Natalia waiting up for her on the couch when she returned to the suite. She walked over to where Natalia was and squatted down on the floor next to her. "Hey." She leaned into the hand that cupped her cheek, then turned her head to place a kiss in its palm. "Emma didn't stir?" she asked quietly.

Natalia shook her head, then dropped her hand. "I'm sorry," she said in a small voice.

Olivia frowned. "Why are you apologising? Didn't I tell you that what he does is not your fault?"

"I know, but..." Natalia worried her lower lip.

"Then why are you apologising?" Olivia asked in a gentler tone, trying to temper her frustration. She was frustrated at the situation, at the nameless entities they were fighting against, at Mallet, but not Natalia-never Natalia.

Natalia finally raised her eyes to meet Olivia's. "Because I brought all this upon you," she said, her voice thick with emotion. Olivia opened her mouth to speak, but Natalia forged on. "Mallet is after me. I know you said he didn't break in here but he could have. He might still. He can harm you, and Emma, and anyone else around me... and I'm so sorry, so sorry..." Natalia said in a half sob. A lone tear trekked down her cheek.

"Baby..." Olivia lifted herself from her squatting position in response to her protesting muscles. She squeezed onto the couch next between Natalia and the couch arm. "Baby," she said again, using two fingers to tilt Natalia's face up.

The pained expression on Natalia's face made her heart clench. Words abandoned Olivia, so she leaned in to catch the tear with her lips, tasting its saltiness, attempting to soak up the guilt that had caused it. Her lips lingered on Natalia's cheek, planting kiss after kiss until Natalia finally responded by turning her face slightly for their lips to touch.

The feeling of frustration faded into the background for Olivia at the feel of Natalia's lips moving against her own. She held herself back, wanting to enjoy the softness that was Natalia, wanting to prolong the sweetness of the contact before it morphed into a whirlwind of passion, as was frequently the case with them.

Olivia hummed in her throat when Natalia stroked her cheek with the back of her fingers. She cracked her eyes open and started when she saw Natalia staring back at her. Her heart skipped a beat at the look of surrender in dark eyes before they fluttered shut. Olivia closed her eyes in response and parted her lips, moaning softly. She felt Natalia's questing tongue touch her lips timidly and met it with halfway with her own, breathlessly seeking a more intimate contact.

The familiar haze of lust and attraction settled upon Olivia and she shifted herself on the couch, pressing herself down on Natalia, sighing when Natalia's legs parted to accommodate her body. She trailed her hand up Natalia's bare leg, registering its smoothness, acknowledging the tingling in her fingertips, and excited by what she knew she would find at the end of its journey. She slipped her hand under Natalia's shorts and cupped Natalia's ass in a familiar fashion, groaning in appreciation when she felt Natalia move her hips in a circular motion against her.

It never ceased to amaze her just how quickly Natalia could ignite her passion and rekindle her desire. She was already damp with want and they had done nothing but kiss.

"Inside... now, Olivia," Natalia whispered hoarsely, urgently. Olivia gave up trying to take things slow. She ached to be inside Natalia, to feel her silky heat, to hear her cry out her name. She slipped past Natalia's folds easily, moaning at the feel of Natalia wrapping around her fingers. Her name falling from Natalia's lips made her tremble slightly.

Olivia hummed as she slid more of herself into Natalia each time she re-entered her. Her own centre was throbbing with insane need but she pressed on steadily, not wanting the act of giving to end quite so soon. She watched in rapture at Natalia pulling her own shirt off, and immediately dipped her head to take a breast into her mouth, sucking on it softly, then more forcefully. The tough denim fabric digging into her centre made her rock her hips in her own search of pleasure. Olivia's breath caught when Natalia cupped her with her hand and began massaging her boldly. She released Natalia's breast and growled.

"More, Olivia..." Natalia grated out forcefully. Her words drove Olivia over the edge, causing her to slide into Natalia with renewed fervour. "I love how you fuck me. How you make me want you so much. Take me. Make me yours. I'm yours."

Natalia's soft but heated words spurred Olivia to the point of distraction. She clawed at Natalia's body with her free hand, nuzzled Natalia's breasts with her nose, cheek and lips, caught Natalia's nipples one after the other between her teeth and bit down on them, thrilling at the sounds that she tore from Natalia. Then she curled her fingers and entered Natalia again, sucking in a breath at the sight of Natalia's eyes rolling into the back of her head, of the beads of sweat trickling down the valley between Natalia's breasts, of the beautiful, lithe body arched off of the couch.

Olivia rotated her wrist and prayed that Emma wouldn't hear them. Then she felt Natalia's walls tightening around her fist and all thoughts of caution flew out of the window. The feeling humbled her, excited her, fascinated her, amazed her. She pulled out slowly before pushing herself all the way in again, relishing in the sight of Natalia's parted lips and muted cry.

This was fast becoming her favourite way of taking Natalia; the connection that they shared in this act felt so sacred, so complete. Olivia heard Natalia tell her that she was coming and her world spun out of control. Leaning over Natalia, she rotated her wrist again as she breathed hotly against Natalia's neck. She stuck her tongue out to lick Natalia's sweat coated skin before sucking on Natalia's pulse point. Then she groaned when she felt Natalia spasming around her fist and heard her distorted name fall from Natalia's lips.

Slumped over Natalia, Olivia panted heavily. Her hand ached in its tight confines but she didn't dare move it. Then Natalia came to and smiled breathlessly at her, and Olivia decided that the discomfort wasn't too much to bear as she grinned back.

"I need you to come out now, baby," Natalia murmured, wincing a little when she shifted.

Olivia nodded and retracted her hand gently, careful not to hurt Natalia. When she was finally free, she allowed Natalia's arms to pull her into a tight embrace. Natalia's skin was slick with sweat and felt uncomfortably warm against her cheek, but Olivia didn't care. She listened to Natalia's irregular heartbeat as her eyes fell shut. She needed to catch her breath.

"Where the hell did you learn to do that so well?" Olivia heard Natalia say in wonder. She smirked but didn't reply, feeling inordinately pleased with herself. "Let's go to bed, Olivia," Natalia murmured after their breathing evened out. "I want to make you come and I don't want to have to worry about waking Emma up."

Olivia lifted her face up at that and smirked at Natalia. "Thank God she takes after me in that aspect," she said huskily. Her body was throbbing uncomfortably-even more so at Natalia's blatant declaration of her intentions.

"You might have to carry me in, Olivia. I don't think I can walk," Natalia said in a small voice as she buried her blushing face in the crook of Olivia's neck.

Olivia chuckled and nuzzled the side of Natalia's face.

In the back of her mind, Olivia knew that they had things to talk about but she didn't want to disrupt the fragile calm that their recent intimacy had wrought. Tomorrow; she'd make sure that they talked tomorrow. She just wanted them to spend tonight loving each other.


	10. Chapters 49 to 52

**Warnings and Disclaimers**: This AU story contains adult themes and language, and deals with the sex industry, which might not be to everyone's taste, so please do NOT proceed if you are not of age or if any of that might offend you. It is rated **NC-17**.

All characters from Guiding Light do not belong to me. All the other characters do, however, so please leave them alone. This story is set in an alternate universe, where Natalia Rivera's history and timeline are greatly altered. Most of Olivia Spencer's history remain intact at this point.

I've decided not to worry too much about pre-Otalia plotline discrepancy as this is an AU after all.

**Devil Ride**

by

xenalvr

**49**

In the short time that they had come to live together, Olivia, Natalia and Emma had developed a routine whereby Natalia would rise before Olivia and Emma did to make their morning beverages; Emma would wander into Olivia's room sleepily; they would all spend some time in Olivia's bed before having breakfast; then Olivia would take Emma to school before going in to work herself. Such a routine, in spite of everything that was happening, had given them a false sense of security, as had the Beacon suite. The events from the night before had demonstrated just how vulnerable their sanctuary was. It much reminded Olivia of the three little pigs hiding in their houses of straws and sticks, confident that the big bad wolf couldn't blow their defenses down.

Her snarky inner voice could be hilarious at times, except Olivia didn't find it the least bit funny to be one of the pigs.

Her next rude awakening had come in the form of a rather distraught phone call from Greg requesting for emergency leave. While their working relationship had never been bad, their interactions were a lot more sociable now, and Olivia had come to like Greg as an individual. Never before had she had a subordinate be genuinely concerned about her and her family's well-being. Greg had proved to be a great help to her the night before, staying back late at work to go through the CCTV recordings, and refusing to leave the office until he had gone through everything that was available to help her find something she could use.

Russell from Reception and Samuels had told the truth. Jane's receipt of the box from the bellboy was in black and white recording. As for the person who had broken into her office, Olivia and Greg hadn't been able to discern their identity. The culprit had dressed in indescript loose, dark clothing, and had had on a hat that had hidden their features from the camera. The little that they had been able to surmise was that the person had known exactly what they were looking for, and possibly what Gus had come to the Beacon for, because they had gone into the office mere moments after Olivia and Gus had been seen leaving it, and had left a few minutes after that. It had explained how they had managed to get into Olivia's laptop without any trouble. If Olivia had, indeed, forgotten to log out from her session-something that Olivia kept reprimanding herself about, not enough time would have passed for the system to lock itself automatically.

Greg's words brought Olivia out of her reverie. "What? Oh God... Is he okay?" Olivia asked, concerned. She pinched the bridge of her nose as she listened, her lips thinning into a straight line. "Natalia and I will be there as soon as we can. Yes, of course we'll be there. No, of course it's not..." Olivia took a breath. "Greg," she said, cutting him off firmly with her no-nonsense tone of voice, "We'll be there soon."

Olivia quickly dialled Natalia's number, wondering when or if they were ever going to catch a break. "Natalia? Hey. Greg just called." She paused for a moment before she broke the news flatly. "Paul's in the hospital."

Natalia had never liked hospitals. All her associations with the place were bad, from the loss of her child to the many times her friends had been hurt or abused. Greg hadn't said much to Olivia, only that Paul had been involved in a car accident, but Natalia knew from the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach that it wasn't really an accident, that Mallet had something to do with it somehow, and she was so very sick and tired of being on the defense.

By hook or by crook, she was going to make sure that no more harm came to the people that she had come to care for. She shouldn't have waited this long to do this but she had been selfish; wrapped up in the feelings that her relationship with Olivia had wrought, she had foolishly allowed herself to be lulled into thinking that Mallet would go away if she ignored him long enough.

Well he wasn't. And that was a fact she could no longer ignore.

Natalia knew that her detached silence was beginning to worry Olivia but she couldn't help it. She had to be in the right frame of mind in order to get through this; she had to be Jessica in order to leave.

"Greg said he's already woken up once. He's fine, Natalia," Natalia heard Olivia say. She tried to paste a smile on her face but her lips wouldn't budge. "He did have a little to drink last night."

Natalia nodded woodenly; she knew that Olivia didn't really believe what she was saying but she played along anyway. "He must have had more than I thought," she said agreeably.

"Hey."

Natalia looked down at Olivia's hand on her own; it suddenly felt strange to see the appendage there, resting on her own hand in a familiar fashion. She swallowed and turned to Olivia, who was gazing at her with an indescribable expression on her face. Natalia felt her heart clench in her chest and hurriedly averted her eyes.

"You doing okay?"

A wave of irritation washed over Natalia. "I'm not the one lying in the hospital, Olivia. Of course I'm okay," she said bitingly, looking out of the window lest she should see a hurt expression on Olivia's face.

"Good. I'd rather you be pissed off than sad."

Natalia clenched her jaw and closed her eyes briefly. Then she slowly brought Olivia's hand to her lips and kissed it softly. "I'm sorry, Olivia." She wasn't just apologising for what she had said or the tone that she had said it in, but Olivia didn't have to know that.

"Don't be. I'm just as pissed off as you are. I'm just good at pretending that everything's okay while secretly plotting the deaths of certain individuals."

Natalia could hear the sardonic smile in Olivia's voice, and her own lips finally curved up in a pained smile. "When I grow up, I wanna be just like you," she murmured.

Olivia mock glared at her. "That had better not be an 'old' joke."

"No," Natalia said, shaking her head. "That was a 'you're everything I could ever want' reference."

Even though silence reigned for the remainder of the journey, Natalia knew that she had managed to disperse some of Olivia's worry. She took the opportunity to direct her thoughts towards what she was planning to do and how she was going to achieve it. Then they reached the hospital and Natalia climbed out of Olivia's car. She reached for Olivia's hand that was holding onto the car key.

"I'll hold on to that for you," Natalia offered, plucking the key from Olivia's grasp and pushing it into her back pocket with one hand while she threaded their fingers together. Their eyes met before she pressed a kiss onto Olivia's shoulder. It felt wonderful to be a part of something that no one else was a part of. It also made it doubly hard to let it go and put it to the test, even if it was just for a time. Natalia hastily shoved the sentimental thought aside.

They found Greg sitting beside a pale looking Paul, who was sporting a bandage on his head and a big sploch of purple on one side of his face. Cuts grazed his face and one in particular split his upper lip. Natalia felt her tears well up behind her eyes, and her grip on Olivia's hand tightened.

"Ms. Spencer, Natalia, you're here," Greg said when they entered the room. He gently laid Paul's limp hand on the bed before standing up. "You didn't have to come."

Natalia couldn't speak. She heard Olivia tell Greg to stop being silly or he wasn't going to get a bonus from her this year, and was heartened that Olivia had the ability to put a smile on her assistant's face at a time like this. Then she saw Paul's eyes crack open. A hand flew to her choked up throat. "Hey," she greeted softly, and was gratified that Paul managed a wan smile for her when his eyes focussed. "How're you doing? Would you like some water?"

When Paul nodded, Natalia looked around and poured the last of the water from a jug into a glass with a straw. She handed it to Greg, who was already fussing over Paul, then shared a look with Olivia to let her know that she was going to refill the water jug. She wasn't sure that she wanted to be around to hear what Paul had to say about the accident; she already felt guilty enough.

On her way back to the room, Natalia heard someone call her name. It shook her out of her reverie and she turned to see Harley walking towards her. "Hey, she greeted in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

Harley stifled a yawn. "Sorry," she murmured, waving a hand in front of her face. "Work. Car accident."

"Paul Bedwin?" Natalia asked tentatively, and got a nod in response. "He's my friend. Does the police have any leads on what had happened?"

Harley shook her head. "Nothing concrete. Mr. Bedwin was too out of it the first time he regained consciousness to tell us anything," she explained. "From what we can gather from the scene, someone had forced him off the road and into a tree. Skid marks all over the road. Coulda been a drunk driver. We're still looking for witnesses."

Natalia stomach sank and she bit her lower lip. It had to be Mallet. "Well, he's up," she told Harley distractedly.

"By the way, I managed to get the information that you wanted," Harley said, digging into her pocket.

Natalia's heart skipped a beat at the unexpected information and her mind raced. "You got Vizzini's contact?" she asked a little breathlessly, wanting to be sure.

Harley nodded and rotated her head, sighing when her neck cracked. "I was gonna give you a call after my shift ended. Pulled an all nighter. Gus'll be here any minute to take over."

"Can I... do you have the information on you?" Natalia asked, looking over her shoulder to make sure that they were out of earshot.

"Yeah, here," Harley said, handing over a slip of paper to Natalia, who scanned it quickly before pushing it into her pocket. "I hope it helps," she said. "You gonna make contact and give up Mallet's location? I'm not sure if the information is up to date."

"Mm," Natalia said noncommittally. She would have to take a chance. Then she squeezed Harley's arm gratefully. "Thank you so much for this, Harley. I really appreciate it." Then, making a quick decision, Natalia handed Harley the water jug. "Do you mind taking this in? I'm just gonna dash to the ladies."

Harley smiled tiredly. "Sure."

Natalia managed to steal one last glance of Olivia before the door swung shut behind Harley. She smiled softly when she saw Olivia rolling her eyes at something Greg said; her expression and posture reassured Natalia that Paul was doing all right. Then she took a deep breath, schooled her features into a detached mask of calm, and made for the elevator. She needed to leave before her absence was discovered.

**50**

Olivia hadn't had much chance to associate with Harley Cooper, but she had a relatively good impression of her after the way Natalia spoke of their meeting not too long ago. Her professional, straightforward, yet sensitive manner of questioning Paul about the accident further impressed upon Olivia that it was Gus, not Harley, who was in the way of Natalia getting to know Raphael.

"I couldn't see much in my rearview mirror," Paul said with a small frown as he tried to recall the events from the night before. "It was definitely an SUV of some sort; the lights were high and blindingly bright." He lifted a hand to his head.

"Would you like to take a rest, Mr. Bedwin? Another detective would be coming along really soon to take over my shift. You could continue then," Harley offered.

Paul began to shake his head, then winced in pain. "No, I'm fine. I'd rather get it over and done with, if you don't mind," he said with a weak smile. He turned to Greg briefly when Greg squeezed his hand lightly.

Harley shook her head. "Of course not. Let's carry on then." She looked down at her notes briefly. "What happened after the vehicle tailgated you?"

"My first reaction was to step on the accelerator. I had hoped that he would slow down a little, but he didn't. I felt the car swerve a little when he bumped me, and I knew it wasn't just someone wanting me to speed up." Olivia clenched her jaw as she listened to Paul. "It gets really blurry after that. I can't really remember what I did. The next thing I know, I'm off the road. I heard a loud crunch-not sure if it was my car hitting the tree or my head hitting the window... then it all went black."

Olivia watched Harley nod gravely as she scribbled down Paul's answers in her notepad. When she finally looked up, she had a soft, polite smile on her face. "Thank you for that, Mr. Bedwin. We'll look into this. And just so you know, we'll be getting the blood alcohol test result from the hospital to ascertain that you weren't over the limit while you were driving."

Paul nodded tiredly.

"Also," Harley said, flipping through her notes, "the hospital's rung your emergency contact. Mr. Trent R. Bedwin?"

Olivia's eyes narrowed at that. The name sounded oddly familiar.

Paul looked at Harley, surprised. "Ah, Robert. I guess I didn't think to change my emergency contact." He turned to Greg. "That's why they didn't call you till I woke up this morning," he murmured.

"Sorry, Robert?" Harley asked, sounding a little confused.

Paul looked back at her with a sad smile. "Yeah. Robert always hated his first name." He cleared his throat. "Anyway, I'm not sure if he's based in Springfield. Last I heard, he opened his own private investigating firm after getting out of some undercover gig in New York." He cleared his throat. "Haven't spoken to my family since I came out to them a few years ago," he said sadly.

Something about Paul's narrative gave Olivia pause and she blinked. "Wait a minute, your brother's Trent Robert Bedwin. He used to be a cop, and he owns TRB Investigating?"

Paul looked at Olivia in surprise. "You know him?"

Olivia nodded grimly, her mind racing to fit all the pieces together. Trent R. Bedwin was the name of Mallet's handler; that much she could remember from scanning the information Gus had given her. Mallet's handler and her private investigator could be one and the same. "I think I do."

The toilets in Paul's ward were empty. Olivia had her cell to one ear as she made her way to the cafeteria; she was attempting to reach Robert while keeping a lookout for Natalia. When she could neither get through to Robert nor see Natalia anywhere, she began to curse mentally in frustration. Then she dialled Natalia's cell number, only to be answered by a voice recording telling her that the user was unavailable.

"What..." Olivia mumbled under her breath as she stared at her cell. She wasn't sure where Natalia could be. Questions accompanied new revelations and crowded her head to the point of explosion; she was in dire need of some answers and their only lead at the moment was Robert.

Olivia broke into a light jog on her way back to Paul's room, scanning the people walking past her for any sign of Natalia. When she arrived back at the room to find that Natalia wasn't there, the small germ of worry at the back of her head that Mallet might have struck again began to grow. Two of the three occupants in the room turned their heads at her entrance and one of them looked surprised to see her.

"Has Natalia been back here at all?" Olivia asked Greg softly upon seeing that Paul had fallen back to sleep.

"Nope," Greg murmured, shaking his head. Olivia took a breath to calm her nerves and regroup.

Then Gus piped up, looking from the slumbering Paul to Olivia. "Olivia, you know the victim?"

Sometimes Olivia wondered how people got through life without the mental capability to put two and two together, especially when it was in their job description to detect. Before she could help herself, she replied, "No, I'm a candy striper."

Greg snorted at her response, but Gus just looked a little confused. Olivia exchanged a look with her assistant before she let out a small breath. "Yes Gus, I know Paul," she said dryly. Then her cell rang and she quickly backed out of the room to answer the call, in the hopes that it was either Robert or Natalia.

Olivia's face fell when she realised who the caller was. "What do you want, Alan? I'm really busy," she said, pouring all her annoyance and frustration into the dour greeting. Then she frowned at what Alan said. "What makes you think that I'm interested in Mallet's past?" she asked in a still voice.

Olivia closed her eyes as she inhaled loudly. "I should have known. _You_ got someone to break into my office last night, didn't you?" Olivia spat out, her mind racing. "Oh, drop the act, Alan. We all know that you're as innocent as the next hardened criminal." She threw her eyes and a hand up. "What am I saying? That's exactly what you are."

"Look, I don't have time for this," Olivia said, rubbing her temple. "_What do you want_?" she asked pointedly, cutting into Alan's self-righteous tirade. Her eyes narrowed when Alan offered her information on Mallet's past, as well as a way to get rid of him. "You're basically trying to sell me what you've stolen from me," Olivia fumed. Then she blew out a breath. Her thoughts were all over the place; she needed to regroup but she wasn't sure she had time to do so. "What do you want in return?" she asked finally.

Olivia laughed mirthlessly at Alan's reply. "Alan, Alan. I admire your perseverence but trust me when I say that there is _no_ way in hell you're ever gonna get Emma's custody. I'm her _mother_ and _you_ are out of line. Don't push me, Alan. I can make sure that you _never_ get to see Emma again."

"Excuse me, ma'am, you can't use your cell here," a nurse said, tapping Olivia on her arm.

Olivia glanced up briefly and lowered her voice. "This conversation is over," she said abruptly into her cell and ended the call. She met the disapproving look on the nurse's face, gave her a fake smile, and turned her cell off for good measure. When she turned to go back into Paul's room, she almost bumped into Gus.

"I hope your friend gets better soon, Olivia," Gus said stiffly with a small nod. "I think Harley's done everything that needs to be done here."

Olivia could sense that she had offended Gus with her earlier sarcasm. Despite everything, Gus wasn't the enemy. "I'm sorry about being snippy earlier," she said. "I've got a lot on my mind. Someone broke into my office last night after you left. Actually, Alan's pretty much owned up to that."

Gus frowned. "Why would he do that?" he asked skeptically.

Olivia shrugged. "Why does Alan do half the things he does?" she asked, throwing one hand up. "Anyway. I have to go look for someone." Olivia paused and patted around her pockets for her keys. Then she swore.

"What is it?" Gus asked.

"Natalia's got my car key," Olivia said, shaking her head lightly. She was beginning to think that Natalia's disappearance was voluntary and she wasn't sure if she was mad, upset or worried about it.

"I could... give you a lift," Gus offered with a shrug.

Olivia pushed her conflicting emotions to one side, nodded curtly, and steered Gus towards the elevator. She'd have to act now and think later. "Thanks, Gus. I owe you another one. And if you put your siren on, I'd throw in a third 'IOU'." She threw Gus a sardonic look. "As the owner of the Beacon, you should know that I'm good for them."

Gus smirked and gazed at Olivia in fond amusement as they rode the elevator down to the parking lot.

**51**

On hindsight, it was probably good that Olivia had Gus accompanying her. Robert hadn't been at his office, and if Gus hadn't flashed his credentials to Robert's personal assistant, it would have taken Olivia a lot longer to get Robert's residential address. Olivia was done with waiting. She wanted her questions answered, and Robert seemed like the only available source at this point in time. She was trying to refrain from having to negotiate with Alan; nothing good ever came out of that.

"So, you gonna tell me what's going on, Olivia?" Gus asked as they made their way to Robert's home, which wasn't too far from his office at all.

Olivia shrugged. "I told you, I want to ask this man some questions," she said vaguely, not really interested in sharing too much with Gus. She was still trying to arrange her thoughts in some semblance of order but her head felt crowded with questions and it was frustrating her.

"You were looking for Natalia? Where's she gone? Where's your car? Did she take it?" Gus asked, casting a glance at Olivia when they came to a stop at the lights.

Olivia blew out a breath. "Yes, Natalia has my car, and I'm okay with that," she said, turning to him with a look that bode no further comment on that matter. "I got a call from Alan earlier," she said, steering the conversation away from Natalia. She knew that if she began dwelling on Natalia's wordless departure, she would lose her focus on everything else and she didn't want that. A part of her didn't think that Natalia would just disappear with her car, but another part of her worried that Natalia's guilt might override her rational thinking. Olivia wasn't ready to consider a life without Natalia, so she decided to focus all her energy on eliminating Mallet instead.

"What did he want?" Gus asked as they pulled up at the address that they had gotten from Robert's employee.

"He all but admitted to being responsible for the break in of my office last night," Olivia said as she unbuckled her seatbelt. "The information that you gave me on Mallet is with him."

Gus lifted a brow and stared at Olivia. "That's a serious accusation. Are you sure? Why would he do something like that?"

Olivia slammed the car door shut a tad more forcefully than was required. "He wants Emma. Sometimes I wonder if he's growing senile in his old age. I don't know why he thinks that a stupid document is going to get him the custody of Emma." Olivia heaved a sigh. "The scary thing is, he thinks that he's doing the right thing in trying to keep the Spauldings together. What he doesn't get is... Emma is also a Spencer. And Emma will never be his to recruit and remodel."

They hastened towards the stairwell and made their way up to the third and highest level of the apartment building. "For all his faults, he seems to just want the Spauldings to stick together," Gus said quietly.

Olivia snorted and gave Gus a look of disbelief. "If he stops meddling for one moment, it actually might!" Then she shook her head, refusing to get worked up about Alan Spaulding. "I doubt he'd ever learn that scheming and blackmailing won't get him anything... nothing that lasts, anyway," she said, sounding a little wistful. Gus looked thoughtful but did not comment.

"This is it," Gus said when they reached apartment number 302. When his fist connected with the door, the impact pushed it open. Gus and Olivia looked at each other in surprise. Then Gus said in a hushed voice, "Stay out here. If you hear me shout for you to run, do so and call 911." He handed her his car key and looked at her seriously. "If I call out your name, it means it's safe to come in."

Olivia gripped the key tightly when Gus entered the apartment with his gun drawn. Her heart was doing odd little flips of uneasiness in her chest as the seconds ticked by. Time and silence stretched out; she fancied hearing a soft dripping sound in the wall behind her...

"Olivia!"

Olivia reacted to the sound of her name with a jump and a sharp intake of breath. She pushed open the door to Robert's apartment and stepped in cautiously even though it was meant to be safe to enter. She closed the door quietly behind her and ventured into the apartment, looking for Gus, her heart beating irregularly.

Robert's apartment didn't look well cared for. Paint was peeling off the walls of the short corridor that opened up into what looked like a huge office. Untidy stacks of paper covered the carpetted floors, and the large desk that dominated the room held more stacks of paper and three computer monitors. Neither Gus nor Robert were in sight.

"Gus?" Olivia called out tentatively. She instinctively kept close to the wall behind her.

"Down here."

Olivia ducked her head and caught sight of Gus on the floor next to the desk. "What are you -" She gasped when she stepped around the desk and saw Gus's hands covered with blood. A hand flew to her mouth as her stomach lurched nastily in response to the sight of Robert lying in what looked to be his own pool of blood.

"Olivia, I need you over here," Gus said, looking up at Olivia. When Olivia didn't repond immediately, Gus barked her name out again, this time in a more urgent tone. "I need to call this in."

A pale Robert turned his face weakly and Olivia met his eyes for an instant, causing her mind to reboot. She gave Gus a curt nod and went over to where he was. "It's this spot right here," he instructed. "I need you to keep pressure on it."

There was blood everywhere. For a moment, Olivia thought she was either going to faint or gag, but she managed to get a hold of herself and did neither. Instead, she did as Gus instructed, and placed her hands on Robert's torso in the effort to slow the bleeding. "What happened?" she finally asked in a strangled voice. The smell of the blood combined with the feel of the warm, gushing liquid against her skin was overwhelming and she tried to distract herself by focussing on Robert's pained expression.

"Camaletti," Robert spat out weakly. At Olivia's confused expression, he corrected himself. "Mallet. He's going to meet Natalia."

"Natalia?" All thoughts of blood and gore rushed out of Olivia's head at the mention of Natalia. "What do you mean? How... Was Mallet here? What happened!" she demanded sharply.

Robert took a shallow breath and Olivia felt a little guilty for shouting at the bleeding man. He coughed a little before saying, "She called... Meeting her."

"Mallet's meeting Natalia?" Olivia asked, confused. "Where?" she demanded again, but with a softer tone of voice. "Where's he meeting her, Robert?" Her mind was racing but she couldn't figure out what Natalia was up to-not that she cared, at this point. She didn't even care to know how Robert came to know what he did; she just wanted to get to Natalia.

Robert took another laboured breath and closed his eyes briefly. Olivia was afraid that he might have passed out. "Robert, please. Stay with me," she pleaded, refusing to shift her hands even though they were beginning to ache.

"Her old apartment... Chicago," Robert murmured, his strength seeping alarmingly quickly by the second. "A-Address..." he managed to say as he lifted an index finger. Olivia turned her head.

"You have the address to the apartment Natalia's meeting Mallet at?" Olivia asked urgently. Robert was panting shallowly at this point. His nod was slight but Olivia caught it. "The address is somewhere on the table?" she pressed on.

"The ambulance is coming, Olivia," Gus said when he returned to her side. "Hang in there, bud. Help is coming," he said reassuringly.

"Gus, can I get you to take over?" Olivia asked distractedly. She gratefully slipped her bloodied hands from under Gus's, then stood up to rake the desktop with her eyes. It was in a state of disarray, as though Robert had attempted to hold onto something before he had sunk onto the floor. She hurriedly went through the papers, careful not to stain them too badly. It was a slow and frustrating process. Then she accidentally moved the mouse and the three computer screens flickered to life.

It seemed that Robert had found out a fair bit about Natalia's past. Olivia threw the now unconscious man a quick glance, then hastily searched for and took down the address of Natalia's old apartment in Chicago. When that was done, she made a beeline for the bathroom to wash the blood off of her hands.

Olivia stared at herself in the mirror and had a stranger meet her eyes for a second. She shook her head slightly and hurriedly looked around for some soap to rid her hands of the stink of blood. When she couldn't find any, she began pulling open the drawers under the sink, freezing when she saw a small pistol lying in one of them.

Her quest for soap forgotten, Olivia made a quick decision and picked the weapon up, heaving its slight weight in her hand. She stared at herself in the mirror again and clenched her jaw. Then she pocketed the pistol and exited the bathroom.

"I'm going after Natalia," Olivia announced to Gus. She could hear sirens wailing in the distance.

"What? Olivia, help is coming soon. Once we get this man -" Gus started saying, only to be cut off by Olivia shaking her head.

"You can stay here and make sure he's okay. I'm going to get Natalia," Olivia repeated herself obstinately. Now that she more or less knew where Natalia was, she didn't want to hang around doing nothing anymore. "I'm leaving. Now. And I'm borrowing your car," she said as she moved towards the door.

"Olivia! Don't be silly! I can call the cops in Chicago and -"

"And nothing. I'll make sure your car gets back to you safely, Gus. That, or I'll buy you a new one," Olivia said, throwing him a crooked smile.

"Olivia!"

Ignoring Gus's cry, Olivia ran down the stairs to Gus's car. After she reversed out of the apartment compound, she spied the detachable siren, thought for a moment, turned it on, and put it on the roof of the car. Depressing the accelerator more, Olivia let out a low laugh when the cars around her began moving out of her way to let her pass. The adrenalin rush was thrilling.

Olivia understood that she might be late in the race. But she was going to use all the advantage that she could get to try and catch up with Natalia and Mallet.

Olivia was about fifty miles outside of Chicago when the fuel light flashed. She cursed aloud but looked out for a gas station; it wasn't as though she had much of a choice.

While the car was being refuelled, Olivia took the chance to visit the restroom, and buy herself a sandwich and a bottle of water. Then she dug her cell out to check the time and realised that she had had it switched off since her conversation with Alan at the hospital. Cursing aloud again, Olivia switched her cell on on hurriedly and waited to see if she had gotten any messages during that time.

Three voicemails were waiting for her.

The latest voicemail was from Gus, urging her not to be rash and put herself in danger, that he'd be right behind her. She half-listened to it and skipped over the last of it by going to the next recording. The second voicemail was from Alan, asking her not to be so hasty in rejecting his offer to help. It made her roll her eyes and go to the last voicemail, where Natalia's voice sounded after a long moment of silence. It made her breath catch and heart trip.

_"Olivia, I..."_ Natalia's recorded voice said and trailed off. Just when Olivia thought that was all there was to the message, Natalia's spoke again. _"...I'm sorry."_ Olivia closed her eyes briefly at the tone of Natalia's voice.

_"I can't... won't... risk you, Emma... or even Rafe getting hurt. Please don't be mad. I -"_

Frowning, Olivia stared at the screen of her phone when that was all there was to the recording. Then she realised that Natalia had probably used up most of the allocated recording time being silent. Growling, she jogged over to the car, disconnected the gas pump, and drove off, more anxious than ever to get to Natalia's old apartment. She wasn't a hundred percent sure that it was where Natalia was, but it was the best shot that she had and she was taking it.

After trying and failing to get through to Natalia, whose cell was still switched off, Olivia called Emma's friend's mother to see if she could arrange for Emma to spend the night at theirs. When this was over, she would have to start paying back her growing stack of 'IOU's. Truth be told, if that meant the end of this craziness, then Olivia couldn't wait to do so.

She wasn't mad at Natalia, per se. She could see where Natalia was coming from, that Natalia was only trying to keep the people she cared about safe. But to put herself in harm's way in the process-that was what Olivia was mad about.

Olivia didn't think that she had ever been with someone quite like Natalia-that is, disregarding the fact that Natalia was a woman, for Olivia simply couldn't attribute everything to that one factor. She knew that Natalia didn't see herself as Olivia's equal, but for Olivia, Natalia was the one person who matched Olivia in the way she lived, fought and loved.

Being with Natalia made her happy. When Natalia looked at her, she felt like she was the only person Natalia saw. When Natalia smiled, she could feel it in the pit of her stomach. When Natalia was wrapped around her, she couldn't think of any place else she would rather be.

Natalia was the reason she loved opening her eyes in the morning. The smell of Natalia's skin was what she wanted to inhale as she drifted to sleep every night. It was silly and crazy and sappy, and there were times where Olivia wondered how she had gotten to be this way, but she wouldn't trade it for the world. She might have fallen in love more times than she could count but Natalia... Natalia was the love of her life. Olivia gripped the steering wheel. It was really that simple.

So she rang Natalia again even though she knew that she would be directed to the voicemail. This time, however, she left a message.

**52**

Natalia was used to making tough decisions. She mostly went with her gut and tried not to look back. After all, nothing good happened to people who looked back. Take Lot's wife for example, who had turned into a salt pillar when she had turned back to look at the house she was fleeing from; Natalia smirked mirthlessly at the random biblical reference that popped into her head as she drove along.

When Natalia was growing up, she had believed in the existence of God and Satan; heaven and hell; and sins and their punishments because that was what she had been taught to believe in. Like any other average teenager, she hadn't given religion much thought-that is, until she became pregnant with Raphael when she was sixteen.

Her mother had been convinced that she was going to hell and her father had hit her out of anger and shame. They had been so angry and she had been so scared. She could still remember the cold grip of fear that had banded around her heart each time they had spoken of abortion, and she had turned to God for guidance and strength, convinced that she would be condemned to hell for her sin but praying that her child would be absolved from her punishment.

She lost her faith the day she was told that Raphael was a stillborn.

Between then and now, Natalia had been a part of a few families that had, at one time or other, accepted her into their folds. She learnt that people who made up a family didn't necessarily have to be related by blood, that if you were fortunate enough to find people who loved and helped you unconditionally, you did your best to reciprocate in kind. It was why she would never truly be able to cut Maria out of her life, and also why she didn't want to implicate Olivia any further. Maria had been her family for a big part of her life and Olivia... Olivia was her family now.

It wasn't that Natalia didn't trust Olivia to be there for her because she did. But the thought of putting Olivia in harm's way or losing Olivia when Olivia meant so much to her was just too much. Natalia didn't think she could bear it if Olivia ever got hurt on her account; the sight of Paul lying on that hospital bed had been heart-wrenching enough. She wanted Olivia safe and sound.

What Natalia did consider was how anxious she would be if Olivia's and her roles were reversed, so she had rung Olivia up after she had spoken to Maria and formulated a semblance of a plan. She had been tempted to tell Olivia where she was heading but, knowing Olivia, she would come after her, and that would defeat her entire purpose of stealing away. So she had apologised instead, and hoped that Olivia would forgive her when all this was over. Natalia glanced at the time and breathed out loudly through her nose as she pulled into a small parking lot near her old apartment.

It felt odd to be back in her old neighbourhood.

She could hardly believe that she had only been gone for over a month; it felt like a lifetime ago. She recognised the streets and signs and knew the location of things, but everything looked and felt foreign to her, much like being in an old room that someone else now occupied. Being here brought home the fact that she was no longer a part of this world. The realisation elicited an array of conflicting emotions within her which she chose to push aside. She had more important things to entertain right now.

Natalia pulled her jacket tighter around her body and shivered slightly as she hurried up the sidewalk. Chicago should get its first snow any day now. She hoped that it would hold out till for a few days because it would make driving back to Springfield just that little bit trickier. The thought made her realise with a start that there was no question as to whom she now belonged with.

Not wanting to be distracted by the stray thought, Natalia blinked several times to try and clear her head. She still had some time before Mallet arrived. She reached the door to her old apartment and reached up for the key, which was still kept at its old hiding place even though Ruth now lived there.

According to Maria, Ruth and her roommate had gone away for a few days for Thanksgiving, so the apartment was unoccupied for the moment. The door swung open to reveal the small, stark room in a messy state. Natalia bit on her lower lip and stepped inside, torn between the warmth the apartment provided and the musty smell that emanated from it.

After shrugging off her coat and scarf, Natalia spotted a paring knife lying on the shelf beside a half eaten apple. She brought the knife over to the sink and gave it a quick rinse before hiding it in the sleeve of her snug fitting thermal top. The knock that sounded on the door made her jump even though it was expected. With a determined set to her jaw, Natalia walked over to the door and opened it.

Olivia took back all the ill thoughts she had ever possessed about the advancement of technology and embraced it, glitches and all. Without the inbuilt GPS in Gus's car, she doubted that she could have made it to Natalia's old apartment as quickly as she did.

Olivia double checked the address that she had hastily scribbled down and took to the stairs two steps at a time, her heart racing and stomach fluttering, unsure what she would find and hoping that she would find something. The apartment building stank of stale piss and alcohol, a bad mix on any day. Olivia steeled her stomach.

When she reached the door to Natalia's old apartment, Olivia hesitated to knock. She was about to try Natalia's cell again when she heard voices from within, so she bent her head slightly and pressed her ear to the door, eager to catch any snippet of conversation that could determine if Natalia was there. The exchange was made in hushed voices but close to the door.

"...make sure you're safe, Talia!" Olivia's heart leapt in her chest at a female voice calling out a shortened version of Natalia's name.

"You have to go."

At the familiar sound of Natalia's voice, Olivia's heart soared. She knocked on the apartment door and heard everything go quiet behind it. Then she heard the chain lift noisily and watched the door inch open. When it opened wide enough to reveal Natalia, Olivia felt a rush of relief, happiness, nervousness and a brief spurt of self-righteous anger.

"What are you doing here? How did you..." Natalia sputtered, her carefully composed face dissolving into a mix of confusion and frustration.

At a loss for words and at the risk of saying something that she might later regret, Olivia kept quiet as she tried to calm her thundering heart. She allowed Natalia to pull her into the apartment.

"Olivia, I..." Natalia started to say as she reached her hands up to cradle Olivia's face. Olivia pulled away reflexively and noted Natalia's look of hurt with vindictive pleasure. "I'm sorry." Natalia's hands dropped limply to her sides. Something in Olivia's chest twisted when Natalia took a step away from her, and she reacted by pulling Natalia to her and burying her face in Natalia's neck. Her eyes fluttered shut when she felt Natalia wrap her arms around her and breathed in deeply.

"Guess you're happy to see _her_," a wry voice observed, causing Olivia to pull her face back and turn to its source.

The woman standing by the bathroom door with her arms crossed in front of her had striking features and a strong presence despite her gaunt figure. Short golden brown curls framed her narrow face and dark eyes that had seen more than their fair share of the world's ugliness. Olivia instinctively knew this woman to be Natalia's ex. If Natalia had ever mentioned her name, Olivia's mind hadn't retained that information.

"I'd introduce myself but Talia's got a date to keep and she's already annoyed that I crashed her party," the woman said in a lazy drawl that both annoyed and impressed Olivia.

"I know who you are. You're the woman who betrayed Natalia's trust and stole her money. She never told me your name though. Guess it isn't that important," Olivia said in a cool tone as she disengaged herself from Natalia's embrace.

Catlike eyes narrowed before a slight sneer formed on full lips. "I've never even heard of _you_. Guess _you_ ain't important," she retorted, causing Olivia's brow to lift in a mixture of irritation and admiration.

"Or maybe you're just not significant enough for Natalia to even talk to anymore," Olivia said in a low, chilled voice. She held the woman's eyes, refusing to be the one to break the stare.

"Maria. Olivia. Bathroom. Please." Natalia's voice was gentle but firm. When neither of them budged, Olivia could hear Natalia sigh behind her. "Please? Can we do this later?"

Olivia watched Maria throw her head and roll her eyes before returning into the bathroom. She herself was about to ask Natalia what she was going to do when she heard Mallet's voice on the other side of the door, calling out for Jessica. Natalia's eyes widened and Olivia felt a squeeze on her hand. "Go," Natalia whispered urgently.

Olivia couldn't do anything but oblige.


	11. Chapters 53 to 58 Complete

**Warnings and Disclaimers**: This AU story contains adult themes and language, and deals with the sex industry, which might not be to everyone's taste, so please do NOT proceed if you are not of age or if any of that might offend you. It is rated **NC-17**.

All characters from Guiding Light do not belong to me. All the other characters do, however, so please leave them alone. This story is set in an alternate universe, where Natalia Rivera's history and timeline are greatly altered. Most of Olivia Spencer's history remain intact at this point.

I've decided not to worry too much about pre-Otalia plotline discrepancy as this is an AU after all.

**Devil Ride**

by

xenalvr

**53**

The bathroom was tiny. It was even tinier with two people in it. It was _exceptionally_ tiny when one was obliged to stay in it with someone one didn't particularly like. Olivia sighed inwardly but resigned herself to her fate.

"Just so you know, Talia tells me everything worth telling."

Olivia took a breath and clenched her jaw briefly. Then she let the breath out and stared past Maria with a bored expression on her face. "If you say so," she murmured softly with a shrug.

"You think you can come along with your stinking money and, what, save her?" Maria said scathingly in a low voice. "You're just good for the moment. She'll leave you in due time, or you'll drop her after you've had your fun. Either way, this ain't gonna last."

Olivia threw Maria a dirty look. "I'm sure you're an expert in such matters," she said evenly, but she was beginning to fume inside. This woman had an uncanny way of getting a rise out of her. Given the choice, however, Olivia wouldn't be anywhere else because Natalia was just outside the bathroom and Maria's caustic attitude wasn't that much to put up with.

Maria snorted softly as she sat down on the covered toilet seat. "Of course. Don't you know that prostitutes are experts on the game called love?"

Olivia remained silent. On the one hand, she didn't want to participate in the conversation, and on the other, she didn't quite know what to say to the declaration. The woman was dauntingly blunt and it was slightly unnerving.

"We give you what you want, when you want it. During which, we're fuckin' goddesses. Then we're gone," Maria continued, snapping her fingers. Olivia sucked in a breath at that and hurriedly looked to the bathroom door, but when it didn't swing open, she turned back to Maria, who was looking disdainfully at her.

Olivia was slightly bewildered but she got what Maria was saying. How could she not? It was how she felt most of her life. What she didn't get was why Maria felt the need to discuss that now. With her, of all people. Then again, she knew nothing about this woman other than she was someone Natalia had been with and must still trust despite everything. In this, as in everything, Olivia gave Natalia the benefit of the doubt, but her patience was wearing thin.

The voices on the other side of the door grew louder, escalating Olivia's uneasiness. Thankfully, Maria noticed it too, for she fell silent and moved towards the door next to Olivia, who had her head bent and was trying to make out what was happening. Olivia felt her frustration mount as she strained her ears; how could one anticipate a chess opponent's moves if they couldn't see what they were doing?

"Should we go out?"

Olivia rolled her eyes and clenched her jaws, and was about to reply with something sarcastic when Maria's genuinely worried look gave her pause. "Talia's never been good with stalling," Maria said, almost as though she was talking to herself. Olivia's grip on the door knob tightened when she heard Mallet's raised voice demanding for an answer.

"Stalling?" Olivia hissed, irked that Maria seemed to know what was going on. She was torn between not wanting to bungle up whatever Natalia was planning and rushing out to ensure Natalia's safety. "What's she stalling for?"

"If she hasn't told you..." Maria said, her lips curving in a slight sneer, making Olivia want to wipe look off of her face with a steel wool. But before Olivia could form a reply, an ear-splitting bang made her heart stop and her blood run cold. Then everything that followed unfolded with excruciating slowness.

The meeting of widened, horrified eyes.

The urgent twisting of the door knob.

The sharp push of a shoulder against the bathroom door.

The wild visual scanning of the room once the door flung open.

Much later, Olivia would be able to recall the feel of air brushing against her face as she rushed out of the bathroom, the sound of her heart thundering in her ears as she did so, the sight of splattered blood that met her eyes, and the lungful of air that she took before she screamed out Natalia's name. But in that moment of excruciating slowness, Olivia could only take everything in without any thought process and react reflexively.

She pulled out the pistol that she had gotten from Robert's the same time a shocked Mallet turned to her with his Smith & Wesson Automatic.

Any control that Natalia might have had over the situation had slipped away from her completely and things were escalating alarmingly. The smell of gunpowder and the sight of blood jarred her thoughts, causing her mind to blank and body to freeze. She stared at the gun in Mallet's grip blankly as it swung around; she could almost make out someone crying out her name, but the ringing in her ears after the loud gunshot drowned everything out and she couldn't be sure. Then the pain in her arm bloomed and she winced when Mallet yanked her against him.

"What the fuck is this!" Mallet shouted beside Natalia's ear, making her flinch and pull away from him. She couldn't move far, however, for his fingers were tightly banded around her upper arm, and she was still numb with shock.

Natalia tried to concentrate on her breathing as her mind struggled to make sense of things. She blinked several times and swallowed, then blew out a soft breath between parted lips when her mind unfroze.

Mallet had put a bullet through a man who had come through the door after demanding to know who had sent him. Natalia had never seen the man before, but he hardly looked like an assassin with his stringy hair and unkempt appearance. Mallet, on the other hand, had gotten more and more worked up when the man couldn't give him a satisfactory answer, and had snapped when the man finally said that he was just here to look for a shag.

"Jessica, what the hell are these women doing here?" Mallet shouted and shook Natalia hard, making her teeth rattle. She winced painfully.

"I... don't know," Natalia spat out, and began trying to free herself from Mallet's painful grip. "Let me go, you're hurting me!"

"Natalia! You let her go right now, you son of a bitch!" Olivia spat out. Natalia's eyes met Olivia's for the briefest moment before Mallet turned Natalia around to face him while his gun was still pointed at Olivia.

"No! I don't understand. I've gotten rid of Paul Bedwin so we can be together," Mallet said with a pained expression before he frowned. "Who's this man? Is he another one of your clients?" he demanded to know.

"I've never seen him before in my life," Natalia said softly and truthfully, casting a regretful look on the crumpled body that was propped up against the door frame. She hoped that it was still breathing, but she couldn't be sure. The entire building should be able to hear them, but sadly, the noises that they were making were nothing exceptionally out of the ordinary in this neighbourhood. "You're out of your mind," she said when she raised her eyes back to Mallet's face, giving him a look filled with disgust and loathing. The cold rage that flitted across Mallet's face before his lips twisted into a dark smile made Natalia flinch.

"Yes. For you," Mallet said, pulling Natalia closer to him. "Haven't I proven my love to you with everything that I've done?" he asked, making Natalia cringe inwardly at their proximity. She could feel his warm breath on her face and it sickened her. "I'd do anything for you."

"How about leaving her alone then, you pathetic fuck?" Olivia interrupted scathingly, reminding both Mallet and Natalia of her presence. Suddenly, Natalia found herself pressed up against Mallet, locked in a grip by a muscular arm across her chest. She struggled against his hold but it was of no use.

"How about you shut the fuck up and mind your own fucking business?" Mallet demanded angrily, jerking his gun up and down as he spoke.

Natalia saw Olivia's eyes narrow dangerously. The sight of Olivia with a pistol and knowing that Mallet's gun was trained on Olivia were making Natalia's heart doing double time; she began struggling more strongly in the hopes that it would split Mallet's concentration.

"_Natalia_'s my business and I'm sick of you fucking around with us. So you get your filthy hands off of her and maybe I'll let you keep your balls, how about that?" Olivia said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"You tire me," Mallet said to Olivia and raised his gun slightly.

Natalia felt Mallet's muscles tense against her and her heart lurched nastily. If she didn't do something-_anything_, Olivia might get hurt, or worse still... Natalia took a breath and refused to finish the thought. Instead, she did the first thing that came to her, pointing out of the window and exclaiming, "Look, Wonder Woman!"

Time seemed to slow down. Mallet's gun wavered slightly as he turned his head, but the arm that held Natalia captive did not budge at all, making it impossible for her to slip from under it. Natalia reached for the knife hidden in her sleeve and pulled it out. She saw the surprise on Olivia's face when she saw the weapon, then watched it morph into a look of understanding and determination. Olivia readjusted her grip on the pistol and trained her eyes on Mallet.

Ignoring the voice in her head that was screaming against what she was about to do, Natalia inhaled sharply and brought her hand down heavily, plunging the small blade into Mallet's thigh with as much force she could muster. It went against her nature to be violent but if she had to choose between her reservations and Olivia... well, there really _was_ no choice.

Mallet's cry of surprise and pain exploded beside Natalia's face. She brought her heel down on Mallet's foot and finally managed to push his arm off of her and free herself from his grasp. Her adrenalin was rushing and her head was swimming in it. No thoughts infiltrated her actions; she depended solely on her instincts.

Before she could take more than two steps away from Mallet, another deafening clap sounded and Natalia instinctively cowered and averted her face with a grimace, trying to make herself as small of a target as she could.

Olivia had felt slow and dumb and out of control as she watched Natalia struggle with Mallet. Her world had narrowed down to the two of them and herself from the moment she had pushed her way out of the bathroom, and she hadn't taken her eyes off of either of them since then. Her palms were sweaty and she had had to adjust her grip on the pistol several times because of it. There weren't many things between Mallet and herself that she could duck behind in the event that he opened fire at her. Olivia felt uncomfortably exposed and vulnerable; every muscle in her body was tensed, and she had to fight against her instincts to remain where she was.

Olivia had very little experience with guns; Sam had had a BB gun when he was a kid and she might have shot with it once or twice, but her targets had been cans, not humans, and she certainly hadn't had someone that she loved standing anywhere near her line of shot. Her heart was pounding in her ears and her mouth had gone dry; Olivia realised that she had been breathing through her mouth and tried to swallow.

When Natalia had shouted to distract Mallet, Olivia had caught herself just in time before she, too, turned her head. She had kept her eyes trained on Natalia, anticipating Natalia to slip under Mallet's arm like she had slipped under hers at the Beacon, but Mallet's grasp must have been too tight because, instead of that happening, Natalia had pulled out a knife.

It hadn't taken Olivia long to figure out what Natalia had meant to do, so she had returned her attention to Mallet and had waited long, excruciating seconds for Natalia to move out of the way so that she could get a clear shot of Mallet when that happened. She hadn't allowed herself to think because, if she had, she might have frozen up.

Then everything had happened all at once: the knife in Natalia's hand embedding itself in Mallet's thigh, Mallet's loud bellow of pain, Natalia escaping from Mallet's grasp. All the fear, nervousness, and adrenalin pumping through Olivia's bloodstream had culminated in the one simple act of her pulling the trigger.

She couldn't tear her eyes away from Mallet for the longest time. She wasn't sure if he was hunched because of the pain in his leg or if she had managed to shoot him, if he would raise his gun at her again and what she would do if he did. Her arms began to tremble slightly but she refused to lower them.

"You stupid. Fucking. Bitch!" Mallet growled out as he righted himself, favouring his right shoulder. Olivia's eyes widened in alarm when he tried to raise his injured arm and pulled the trigger on the pistol several more times. Instead of the loud, exploding claps that she anticipated hearing, only useless clicks sounded. She saw glee flood into Mallet's face and a part of her wondered if this was to be her demise as she tried to direct her stiff thumb to cock the hammer on her small pistol.

"I watched over Jessica when Alan Spaulding wanted her followed; I made sure Doris Wolfe stayed far away from her so that Alan couldn't get the information that he wanted; I warned Bedwin to stay away from her but he didn't listen. He even had the audacity to mark her, so I ran that fucker off the road."

Olivia was receiving but not processing his words. She swallowed at the maniacal gleam that entered Mallet's eyes as he closed the distance between them in a slow, limping gait. "I told you to stay away from her too, Olivia Spencer, but of course you didn't listen. Nobody fucking listens to me."

Mallet shook his head as he stopped about two feet from Olivia; his gun was almost raised to Olivia's face level as she stared on in frozen horror, her mind screaming for her to do something. Mallet took a breath and tilted his head, giving Olivia a toothy smile that enhanced the crazy but intent look on his face. He swatted Olivia's gun out of his face like he would an annoying branch. "So now. You. Die."

Olivia finally managed to cock the hammer of the small pistol, but faced with a person standing this close to her, she couldn't seem to make herself swing her arm back in position and pull the trigger. She stared into dark, intense eyes, then smiled, surprising both Mallet and herself with her reaction.

"I pity you," Olivia said softly but clearly. "You've never had her. You've never known her. And you never will. You'll never know how it feels like to be loved by her, to laugh with her, to be the person that she thinks about when you're apart. You'll never be the reason that she's happy, or the person she'll turn to when she's sad. You don't know _shit_ about her and I feel _sorry_ for you."

Olivia could see that Mallet was angry, and that, combined with the amount of blood that was staining his shirt from his wound, was making it hard for him to lift his gun. She forged on, mindless of the danger and eager to take him apart with her words. "Paul didn't give her that hickey. _I_ did. You got the wrong person, sucker. She loves _me_. Not you."

"_No_!" Mallet shouted, his face slightly scrunched up. "That can't be. You're lying!"

Olivia ignored his outburst and continued, "And stop calling her Jessica, you sick fuck. Her name's Natalia."

A loud crack followed the descent of something dark. Olivia gasped and took a step back in reflex. She watched Mallet's eyes go blank and face go slack before he crumpled onto the floor. Maria towered over him with a large, dented fry pan clasped in her hands. Olivia could see a disgusted sneer on her face when she looked down at the unconscious Mallet and said, "Weirdo."

Unable to help herself, Olivia barked out a laugh at Maria's nonchalant assessment of Mallet, and was met with surprised, suspicion-filled eyes. After she seemed to decide that Olivia wasn't laughing at her, Maria relaxed and smirked back. Then Olivia couldn't think anymore because Natalia flew into her arms with a soft cry of her name, surrounding her with the familiar smell of her skin and hair.

**54**

"All right, this love fest is boring."

Olivia did a mental roll of her eyes when she was reminded that Natalia and she weren't alone, that there was possibly a dead man by the front door, an unconscious psycho at her feet, and an annoying woman next to them. The adrenalin that had kept her going for what had felt like forever but was quite possibly a matter of minutes had dissipated, and she would have sunk onto the floor if Natalia wasn't there, holding onto her, giving her the support that she needed.

The gravity of what they had done hit Olivia. She took a shaky breath as Natalia shifted, and was thankful that Natalia kept her arm around her waist and the lengths of their bodies pressed against each other's as she turned herself around to face Maria.

"What are we gonna do now?" Olivia heard Natalia murmur, and the fear in Natalia's voice made Olivia dive into a reserve of strength she didn't know she had. Before she had time to come up with sensible advice, however, two armed men barged into the apartment, making them jump and Maria swirl around, raising the fry pan in her hand as though it would rival bullets.

If their situation wasn't so dire, Olivia might have laughed. She clenched her jaw instead, and prepared herself for more unpleasantness.

"Looks like we missed the party," one of the men said as they lowered their guns.

Olivia let out a breath but kept her guard up. She was sick and tired of being a sitting duck and wanted some control over the situation. "Who the hell are you two?" she asked, injecting as much authority as she could into her voice as she took a step forward and away from Natalia.

When neither men spoke up, Olivia took a breath and narrowed her eyes at them. These men looked like they were here under someone's instructions, and if there was one thing Olivia Spencer could do even in her sleep, it was to give orders and demand answers. "You. Yes, you," she said, boring holes into the taller man's face. "Talk."

"Or what?" the man returned, then looked a little uncertain when Olivia took another step towards him.

"Or you have to be very, _very_ sure that you're not pissing the wrong person off with your attitude. Because I can make your life hell with one simple phone call," she said in a deadly serious tone, hoping that they wouldn't call her bluff. "I've just had the worst _fucking_ day, so be very, _very_ careful," she said, punctuating her sentence with narrowed eyes.

"Mr. Vizzini sent us," the other man said, then shrugged at his partner, who turned to glare at him. "What? Someone here tipped the boss."

"Well good thing Billy wasn't shitting me," Maria piped up. Her eyes met Olivia's. "It's what Talia's stalling for," she explained grudgingly. "If that sleazy dude didn't show, they'd have got him." Then Maria turned to Natalia and shrugged. "I ain't sure if Billy could deliver."

What Maria didn't add was that she had come in case no cavalry showed and Natalia ended up on her own with Mallet. It redeemed her a little, in Olivia's eyes-more so because she hadn't mentioned it.

Right then, Gus appeared at the doorway with his gun drawn. The dingy apartment was packed. "Hands where I can see them, fellas!" he instructed as he assessed the situation.

Olivia's mind kickstarted and she thought quickly. If left up to Gus, he would do his good cop routine and take Mallet into custody, where Mallet would have ample opportunity to get escape. She, on the other hand, wanted to make sure that Mallet disappeared from their lives for good. And since the system had loopholes the size of islands, Mallet was better off going to Vizzini than the station. After everything that they had been through, the last thing she wanted was to run the risk of Mallet walking free.

"They're not the bad guys, Gus. You can put that gun away," Olivia said, then caught the amused look that the men exchanged at her words. She rolled her eyes at them. "Not here, you're not," she said in a lowered tone, giving them a look.

Gus looked confused but he lowered his gun. "What's going on here, Olivia?" He looked down at his feet and felt for a pulse on the man lying there. "And who is this? I'm gonna have to call this in."

"Oh no you're not," the shorter man said, pointing his gun at Gus. "Not till my partner and I are outta here," he said, throwing a look at the taller man, who was working to pick Mallet up from the ground.

"Olivia?" Gus called out, not daring to move.

"It's fine, Gus. They just want Mallet," Olivia said, praying that she wasn't making a big mistake.

Soon enough, the men were gone and Gus looked like he was going to go after them when Olivia stopped him. "Is this man dead?" she asked, distracting him by asking after the man by the door. In truth, all she wanted was to get out of this place, soak herself in a tub of nice smelling hot water, and sleep for a week. "Mallet shot him."

"I... no, he has a weak pulse. Olivia, why did you let them do that?" Gus asked, frustrated.

"Shouldn't you call the ambulance? This man might die," Olivia said, wanting to give the men as much time as she could to leave with Mallet. She looked over her shoulder, saw Natalia talking to Maria, then turned back to Gus. "I'll explain everything to you, I promise," she assured him, relieved to see that he had already pulled his cell out.

"Those men work for Vizzini," Olivia said when Gus got off his cell. The look of betrayal Gus gave her made Olivia flinch, but she stood her ground. "Vizzini would have sent someone after you, and maybe us, if he found out that we stopped his men from taking Mallet," she argued. It was hardly the reason why she had wanted Mallet to go with the men, but it was a plausible explanation. "This'll just save us from a whole heap of trouble."

"I'm a cop, Olivia," Gus said, giving Olivia a painstaking look.

Olivia blew out a breath and met his eyes. "Yes, but _we're_ not. We don't want anymore trouble from Mallet, or future problems with some mobster. Please understand," she said pleadingly. When Gus didn't answer, she sighed and lowered her eyes. "I'm sorry, Gus. You've been great and I..."

Olivia never got to finish what she wanted to say because her sentence was cut off by the feel of Gus's lips on hers. Shocked, Olivia took a step back and blinked at Gus, who was rubbing the back of his neck with one hand and looking a little embarrassed. "You're infuriatingly obstinate, Olivia. You test my limits and I... I shouldn't have just kissed you like that but I..."

"No, you shouldn't have."

Gus looked up in surprise to find Natalia glaring at him. "I..." He looked from Natalia to Olivia and cleared his throat. "I know. Harley..." he started to say, only to be cut off by Natalia again.

"Yes, Harley, for one, wouldn't be impressed. And I'm not either." At Gus's confused look, Natalia linked her hand with Olivia's. "Olivia's with me, and I'm definitely not impressed that you've just tried to kiss her."

"What? You..." Gus said as realisation dawned upon him.

"Yes, me," Natalia said, turning to meet Olivia's smirking gaze. Olivia's grin widened when Natalia rolled her eyes at her amused expression. "I get to kiss this girl, not you," Natalia murmured softly, her gaze and declaration making Olivia's heart skip a beat. Then a loud clearing of throat behind them made Olivia snap out of the trance that she fell into whenever Natalia looked at her that way, and turn her head.

"I'd say that it's been fun but I'd be lying," Maria said flippantly. "I'm outta here before the cops get here."

"I appreciate you being here for Natalia," Olivia said, looking at Maria, who refused to meet her eyes. "Don't get me wrong, you're still a bitch to have stolen from her, but thanks for knocking that asshole out _before_ he shot me."

"Yeah, whatever," Maria said, shrugging the thanks aside. "You know where to find me," she said, looking at Natalia before finally meeting Olivia's eyes with her own. "If you need to," she continued whilst looking at Olivia, who merely raised a brow at her.

Maria didn't bother glancing at Gus as she stepped out of the apartment. Gus looked at Maria's retreating back, then back at Olivia and Natalia. "Friend of yours?" he asked Natalia, disapproval evident in his tone of voice.

"Yes. Why?" Natalia answered, lifting her chin defiantly.

"Well I hope you won't be looking her up anymore, now that you've... gotten out of your old trade," Gus said, sounding a little uncomfortable.

"What's it to you?" Natalia asked, irritated.

Gus cleared his throat and looked hurriedly at Olivia for support. Olivia remained silent, content to watch Gus dig himself deeper into his hole. "Well, Olivia mentioned that she stole from you. And you wouldn't have met Mallet if not for your... what you used to do. It's better to steer clear of that world."

"Oh. Right. Because only sex workers get stolen from, only sex workers steal, only sex workers get stalked, and the rest of the world are model human beings?" Natalia said, raising her brows and her voice. "Can I remind you that Mallet's a cop, and his job was to protect, not cause harm, which he did, on more than a few occasions." Natalia took a breath and reined in her annoyance. "You don't know anything about the people I know, what they've been through, and the things we see, so I thank you not to pass your judgement on me."

Gus opened his mouth to respond, but before he could say anything, the paramedics and local police officers arrived. Olivia sighed and rested her head on Natalia's shoulder, closing her eyes briefly when she felt Natalia's arm snake around her.

It was over. They were all right. And if they were lucky, they would never see Mallet again.

**55**

In the back of her mind, Natalia had harboured the secret hope that her day would end with her being back by Olivia's side. It hadn't seemed likely at all for the better half of the day, but Olivia had managed to surprise her with both her resourcefulness and her propensity to forgive. A surge of emotion threatened to engulf Natalia and she had to take a breath to suppress it.

A part of her was still processing the fact that Olivia had come after her despite her runaway routine. She had left Olivia with nothing more than a voice message that had relayed hardly anything of value. It still boggled her mind the trust and acceptance Olivia freely gave her, without any reservation, especially when they hadn't been together for all that long. It still boggled her mind how much she seemed to mean to Olivia despite what and who she had been.

It was silent in the car, safe for the purring of the car engine. Natalia glanced at Olivia discreetly before looking out of the window again, brought back to the night she had first gotten into Olivia's car, and the apprehension that she had felt. What she now had with Olivia was beyond her wildest imagination. She had only come to the realisation earlier that day just how out of place she felt in her old life and surroundings; it was only now, when she had almost come full circle, that it hit her just how much everything had changed-or rather, how much _she_ had changed and would continue to change.

Olivia had once stated that she saw Natalia for who she was, and that Natalia should embrace it. Although Natalia had understood the words and had grappled with the sentiment, she was only just starting to discover what Olivia had meant. She wasn't a separate entity from her past; there was no way she could put something behind her when it was a part of her. But she was also more than what she did and the choices that she had made when she didn't think that she deserved anything better, and those things she _could_ put behind her.

It was at once thrilling and nerve-wrecking to realise that everything was and would always be a work in progress until they ceased to exist.

"We're here."

Olivia sounded exhausted. Natalia herself felt sucked dry, both physically and emotionally. It had been a far bigger day than either of them could ever have anticipated when they had gotten up that morning. It was the reason why they had decided to remain in Chicago for the night instead of driving back to Springfield.

Natalia was hit with a sense of dj vu as she stepped out of Olivia's car at the hotel that Olivia had taken her to that first night. This time, however, they walked with linked hands across the marbled floors to the reception desk, and Natalia watched Olivia silently as she requested for a suite.

Every time she looked at Olivia, she found something new to admire about her, whether it be a particular way her hair fell around her face, or the way the light happened to catch her features. Natalia was just thinking how much of a lovesick fool she sounded in her head when Olivia turned to her with a crooked smile and a lifted brow.

"You look dazed," Olivia murmured in a voice completely unlike the one that she had used with the receptionist, reaching a hand out to touch Natalia's cheek. It made Natalia's belly flip pleasantly.

"I love you," Natalia blurted out without thinking, causing Olivia to smirk in surprise.

"Okay... I can live with that." Olivia tilted her head in the direction of the elevator and dropped her voice to a husky tenor when she said, "Wanna go up?"

Natalia nodded mutely. She wrapped her hands around Olivia's arm and briefly pressed her face into Olivia's shoulder, breathing in the scent of Olivia's skin intermingled with the faint remnant of perfume that she always wore as they made their way across the hotel lobby.

Though not the same suite that they had been in before, the suite that they had gotten this time was furnished in a similar fashion and afforded them an equally breathtaking view of Chicago's night skyline. Natalia allowed Olivia to pull her into a tight embrace the moment the door shut behind them, content to let her senses be filled with Olivia's presence.

"Did he hurt you?" Natalia heard Olivia ask softly. She shook her head. "He was handling you pretty roughly back there."

"I'm fine," Natalia said when she pulled away slightly so that she could see Olivia's face but still remain in the circle of her arms. "You?" she asked, threading her fingers through Olivia's hair to push it away from her face.

"Just exhausted," Olivia replied as her eyes fell shut to Natalia's touch. She let her head fall to one side, exposing her neck as she made a funny sound in the back of her throat. Natalia couldn't resist leaning in closer to press her lips against Olivia's neck and inhaling deeply. "I think I need a bath."

"I'll run you one," Natalia offered as she disengaged herself from Olivia, pleased with the grateful smile that she elicited.

The suite they were in probably had a shower separate to the ensuite bathroom, like the suite that they were in before did. Natalia couldn't wait to wash the grime of the day off of her body, and as much as she would love to soak in the tub with Olivia, she felt that she needed some space to clear her head, and she was sure Olivia would appreciate the same.

While the bathtub was filling up, Natalia looked around the bathroom and saw that the hotel had provided them with flower petals as well as candles. She began lighting and arranging the candles around the tub and bathroom, and scattered a handful of red, pink and white rose petals on the bathwater after the bath was drawn. She took a step back to survey her handiwork and almost jumped out of her skin when she realised that Olivia had come into the bathroom behind her.

"Wow."

"Shit, Olivia you scared me," Natalia said with one hand wrapped around the base of her throat.

Olivia managed to look a little sheepish. "Sorry, I just wanted to ask if you wanted a drink."

Natalia blew out a breath and shook her head. "I'm gonna go grab a shower," she said, reaching for Olivia's hand and giving it a light squeeze before dropping it.

"All this... is just for me?" Olivia asked, looking at the romantic setting in awe.

"I thought you might like it, after the kind of day we've had," Natalia said with a small shrug. She knew that they had a few things to talk about but nothing that couldn't wait until they were clean and rested.

"Thank you," Olivia said simply, and Natalia smiled softly in response. Then she left the bathroom and went in search of a shower.

Olivia felt languid and boneless in the bath that Natalia had drawn for her. After dunking her head into the water, scrubbing herself clean, and soaking in the bath whilst sipping on a glass of red wine, she felt much better. Her thoughts had yet to fully catch up with her but after speaking at length to the local police officers about what had happened, Olivia was ready to forget that the day had even occurred. Nothing mattered as long as Natalia was unharmed and by her side.

Thinking of which, she suddenly felt the urge to see Natalia, to make sure that she was really here. Propelled by the thought, Olivia stepped out of the tub and towelled herself dry. Then she put on a robe and exited the bathroom.

All the lights in the suite were dimmed and soft music was playing in the background. A robed Natalia was staring out of full length windows with a drink in her hand. She turned when she heard Olivia, and Olivia had to bite back a sigh at the way her heart contracted, then expanded, in response to Natalia's smile.

She had no words, but it was all right because she needed no words. Everything that she needed to know was etched across Natalia's face, radiating from Natalia's eyes, and evident in Natalia's deeds. Sure, she was still a little upset about Natalia leaving without a word and putting herself in harm's way, but she couldn't say with absolute certainty that she wouldn't have done the same thing if their roles had been reversed. She reached out a hand to palm Natalia's face, smiling faintly when Natalia leaned into her touch.

She wouldn't say that Natalia completed her; that, Olivia felt, was an unrealistic idea. Rather, Natalia complemented and challenged her. For Olivia, Natalia was the difference between actually living and merely existing.

Then Natalia placed her drink on the table by the window and slid her hands up Olivia's arms and around her shoulders, and Olivia could no longer help the sigh that escaped her lips. She linked her hands loosely at the small of Natalia's back as they swayed unconsciously to the music. Then she allowed the rest of the world to fall away from them.

Natalia awoke with a jerk. Scattered images of her dream left her breathing raggedly. Her heart hammered in her chest as she gasped silently with a hand around the base of her throat, conscious of Olivia sleeping next to her, faced away from her.

When both her heart and breathing calmed down, Natalia gently placed her palm against Olivia's back to ascertain that Olivia was both alive and really there. She scooted closer to Olivia, drawn by the warmth that Olivia emanated like a moth to the flame. Pressing the length of her body against Olivia's back, Natalia closed her eyes briefly as she inhaled the familiar scent of Olivia's hair and skin. Then she curved her arm and lightly cupped Olivia's rounded shoulder as she buried her face in Olivia's hair and exposed nape.

She felt Olivia shift in her sleep, unconsciously searching out her hand to pull around herself and to her lips. Natalia smiled in the dark, thankful to be where she was, relatively unscathed from her confrontation with Mallet. Things could have turned out so very differently. She shuddered at the memory of Mallet's gun pointing at Olivia, of Mallet's strong grip on her, of Mallet heading towards Olivia with ill-intent.

"Natalia?"

Surprised by Olivia's sleep-rusted voice, Natalia took a moment before she responded. "Hm?" She placed a kiss on Olivia's shoulder.

"You're thinking." It wasn't a question. Natalia frowned as Olivia turned to face her.

"I... how did you know?" Natalia asked in a soft whisper, as though anything louder than that would shatter the peace around them. Her lips curved up slightly in a faint smile when she was met with gray-hued features of the woman she loved. She lifted a hand to push errant hairs out of Olivia's face before trailing her fingers down Olivia's cheek and neck, fascinated by the smooth texture under her fingertips. Olivia shrugged sleepily and breathed out a soft whimper at her touch, causing her smile to deepen and her chest to expand.

They hadn't spoken about what had happened; in fact, they hadn't spoken much at all since they left her old apartment. The silence had been good. It had allowed Natalia to come to terms with what had happened and to think about what laid ahead.

She had finished her shower long before Olivia had finished her bath-during which, she had listened to a voice message that Olivia had left her earlier that day. Now, in the hazy place between slumber and full wakefulness, in the pre-dawn darkness, she was reminded of it again.

"Can hear you thinking..." Olivia mumbled as she cracked open an eye. She stifled a yawn and rubbed at her eyes.

Natalia quirked another smile at that. "Sorry," she breathed out. "I'll try to be quieter."

"Tell me what you thinkin'," Olivia said, pulling Natalia closer and pushing her face against the crook of Natalia's neck. Natalia gasped softly when she felt sharp teeth scraping across her pulse point.

"I was just thinking about what you said," Natalia murmured, shifting to give Olivia more access to her neck. In the short moment that Olivia stopped her ministrations to think, Natalia could feel her frown.

"Oh. To Mallet?" Olivia asked before she resumed nuzzling Natalia's neck, making her squirm and sigh.

"No..." Natalia said breathlessly as her eyes fluttered shut. One of Olivia's hands snuck under her robe and its slow, purposeful trek caused her skin to blush and tingle. She let out a moan and, upon hearing herself, blinked and choked out, "God, Olivia... I can't think when you... do that..."

"Sorry," Olivia murmured, not sounding apologetic at all. But she ceased her movements, and Natalia wasn't sure how she felt about that.

"The voice message that you left me, on my cell," Natalia said finally when she found her thoughts again. She opened her eyes just in time to see Olivia open hers.

"Yeah, what about it?" Olivia asked, running her eyes up and down Natalia's face before she smiled faintly. "You're so beautiful."

Natalia flushed at the unexpected compliment, then shrugged. "Nothing. You asked what I was thinking about. I was thinking about that." Then she brought up a hand and rested it at the base of Olivia's jaw. "I'm sorry I worried you. I'm sorry I took your car. But..." she said, trailing off.

"But... you'd do it again?" Olivia prompted, her brows furrowing.

Natalia took a breath as she looked for the words to express herself. "I'm not sorry that I did what I did," she said finally, tearing her eyes away from Olivia's face and focussing her attention on Olivia's throat. She fiddled with the collar of Olivia's robe absently. "I'd never forgive myself if he'd hurt you or Emma." Then she lifted her eyes to Olivia's again. "I... I'm not prepared for a life without you in it either," she said in a hoarse whisper, a little horrified at the sudden surge of emotion in her chest. She took a shaky breath and wiped at an invisible tear.

Nothing about their relationship was conventional: not the way that they had met, gotten to know each other, fallen in love. So it wasn't surprising at all for Natalia to find herself feeling this much for Olivia at such an early stage of their relationship. They had been through a lot and had been there for each other in the short time that they had known each other. But if this was their starting mark, how would it be like further down the road? Would they fizzle out as quickly as they had ignited? Or was this just the tip of the iceberg?

_"You better be where I'm headed, Natalia,"_ Olivia had said in her voice message. _"Because I'm so not ready for a life without you in it."_

"I love that you want to protect me and Emma," Olivia said haltingly, bringing Natalia back to the present with her voice. "But we're in this together, Natalia. It's not okay for you to make the decision to take yourself out of the equation, even if it's with the best intentions."

Natalia closed her eyes when Olivia stroked her cheek with the back of her fingers.

"I need you to know how important you are to me, Natalia," Olivia said seriously, and Natalia opened her eyes. "I need you to know and _remember_ how important you are to me." Natalia felt tears welling up in her eyes and hurriedly brushed a hand across them before blowing out a shaky breath. "I need you to know, remember, and never forget just how important you are to me." Olivia gently wiped the moisture on Natalia's cheek off with her thumb and peered at her. "Can you do that?"

Natalia nodded mutely and quickly closed the distance between Olivia's lips and her own. All choked up with emotions, Natalia wasn't sure she could speak. But she could at least show Olivia what she felt.

The kiss was a damp one. At one point, Natalia tried to pull away to dry her tears but Olivia pushed forward, unwilling to break their connection. Natalia buried her hands in Olivia's hair as she rolled onto her back. It was intoxicating to be loved by Olivia, to be loved by someone who saw her for who she was and loved her _because_ of it. She sucked in a shaky breath when the kiss broke, then lifted a hand to push Olivia's hair behind her ear while Olivia dried her tears.

For the first time in a long time, Natalia felt that she deserved a shot at something wonderful. And Olivia... Olivia was that something wonderful.

**56**

It was ridiculous just how much work had backed up at the Beacon after a day of Greg's and her absence. Olivia stifled a yawn and decided that it was probably a good idea for her to look into delegating more authority and responsibility now that she had the incentive to spend less time at work. The words on the document that she was perusing blurred as her mind drifted.

Olivia sighed and allowed the folder in her grasp to fall back onto her desk. It was no use trying to work when she had the attention span of a goldfish at the moment. Natalia and she had driven back to Springfield early that morning so that she could make sure that her evening was free for Emma's school performance but it was hardly one in the afternoon and already she was thinking of throwing in the towel.

The knock that sounded on the door made her head snap up and hands fly to the opened folder. Olivia rolled her eyes at her subconscious guilt for not focussing on her work. She _owned_ the Beacon, damn it, and if she didn't feel like working, she jolly well wouldn't. "Come in," she called out, closing the folder firmly and pushing it away from her in a show of defiance. A dark head poked into her office, causing her face to light up with a smile.

"Hey. I know you're busy but I thought you might want some lunch," Natalia said with a tentative smile.

"Come on in," Olivia said with a tilt of her head as she assessed the bag in Natalia's hands. "What'd you get?"

"Buzz burgers, fries and iced tea," Natalia said, hefting the bag. Then she grinned at the moan her announcement elicited from Olivia. "I guess that means I did good, huh."

Olivia nodded as she watched Natalia's approach. "Oh yeah." A sudden wave of contentment washed over her, and Olivia realised that simple, thoughtful gestures meant more than over-the-top shows of affection _never_ could. "I think I love you," she said with a sigh, then smirked when Natalia stared at her offhand declaration for a moment before blushing ever so slightly.

"What, no kiss hello?" Olivia teased when Natalia stopped at her desk instead of walking around it. She chuckled when Natalia rolled her eyes. Then she leaned forward and propped her chin up on one elbow, eyeing Natalia with interest as she unpacked their lunch after shrugging her thick, woollen jacket off. Her stomach rumbled appreciatively but she was quickly distracted by Natalia's trek around the desk.

"Hi," Natalia murmured in a tone that Olivia could only classify as shy. It made her lips quirk with affection. She met the descent of Natalia's head halfway and sighed when their lips brushed against each other's. Enticed by the contact, Olivia cupped the back of Natalia's head with one hand to prolong it. She couldn't explain why, but things felt different between them now-it was almost as though she was falling in love with Natalia all over again, but on a whole new level.

"Olivia..."

Natalia's breathless voice made Olivia open her eyes and smile. She leaned into Natalia's light stroking of her cheek. "Yeah?" she breathed out softly, lightly, letting the word and question hang in the air between them.

It fascinated Olivia that her name could be shaped into a sigh, that she could be anyone's answer to a question, that she could be made to feel so much with such little effort. She reached out a hand to pull Natalia closer to her the same time she slowly rose from her seat, effectively trapping Natalia between her desk and herself. Then Natalia's arms slid around her shoulders to link behind her neck and Olivia hummed, teetering between contentment and anticipation at the feel of Natalia's body snug against her own.

It was geometry: they fit.

It was science: they chemically reacted.

But above all, it was art, and Olivia had no adequate words for it.

So Olivia angled her face as she lowered it, parted her lips to capture Natalia's, then traced them with the tip of her tongue. She leaned into the kiss, moaning in the back of her throat when she felt Natalia's fingers stroke her neck. Then Natalia's hands moved lower, and Olivia growled when they slipped under the flaps of her blazer jacket to caress her dress suit-clad body.

"I didn't..." Natalia began breathlessly when they pulled apart for air, then gasped when Olivia nuzzled her neck. "I just wanted to bring you lunch," she tried again, placing her palms flat against Olivia's chest in what seemed to be a half-hearted attempt to temper Olivia's ardour. "I don't wanna distract you from your work..."

"What work?" Olivia mumbled before renewing her attack on an exposed throat, pleased when she managed to tear a husky moan from an amused and aroused Natalia.

"The work that you're supposed to finish so you can make Emma's performance in the evening," Natalia squeaked out laughingly. "Olivia, stop! Otherwise I won't be able to..."

Olivia smirked. "Won't be able to what?" she asked, dropping her voice an octave. "What are you talking about? You don't make sense, so I'm not stopping," she said, and pushed Natalia up onto her desk before easing herself between dangling legs and pulling Natalia's hips towards her.

"Olivia..." Natalia said warningly even though her lips curved up in an indulgent smile.

'Natalia..." Olivia responded with a playful tone. Natalia captured her smiling lips and she pressed forward eagerly, allowing Natalia to pull her blazer jacket off of her.

"You're insufferable," Natalia mumbled distractedly.

"And _you_... are beautiful... and all mine," Olivia replied, pulling the violet poet's shirt that Natalia was wearing over her head and sighing at the haphazard cascade of dark tresses over smooth, olive skin. She sobered up a little and looked into dark eyes. "I do so love you, you know?" The way Natalia's half smile made her heart swell reinforced the way she felt.

"And I, you," Natalia murmured, stroking Olivia's cheek.

"I don't want you to move to Paul's," Olivia said suddenly, a little surprised at how sure she sounded when she didn't think she had given the issue much thought. At the slight widening of Natalia's eyes, Olivia rambled on, finding traction in her belief that there could be no other for her. "I'll find a big place for Emma, you and I. We can all have our own rooms... even Rafe, whenever he comes over to visit."

Olivia chewed on her lower lip when Natalia didn't speak, feeling immensely nervous and vulnerable. "I just... I want to come home to you every day, or know that you'll be coming home to me," she said softly.

After what seemed like forever of silence between them, Olivia was about to shrug off her suggestion when Natalia cleared her throat. Olivia peered fearfully at her as she waited with her heart in her throat, deafening her with its loud pounding. "Sorry, what did you say?" she asked, mentally kicking herself for missing Natalia's response.

Natalia smirked at Olivia. "Two months into our relationship and you've learnt how to tune me out already?" she teased.

Olivia chuckled, and her nervousness dissipated. She loved how easy it was between them sometimes, how comfortable and familiar it felt to be with Natalia. "I heard it's a good skill to have," she said mirthfully before brushing her lips against Natalia's. "You gonna tell me what you said?"

Natalia wrinkled her nose slightly, crossed her arms behind Olivia's head, and brought Olivia's face close to hers until their noses touched. "I said... _you_ are my home."

Olivia's heart skipped a beat at the sentiment.

"And I'm not sure I can afford to go halves with you on the mortgage to a _big_ place, but if you'd let me pay it off as rent..."

Olivia grinned widely. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?" she pressed, unwilling to chance misunderstanding Natalia.

Natalia's lips twitched. Then she narrowed her eyes playfully. "I don't know. What is it that you think I'm saying?"

"Natalia..." Olivia growled in a complaining tone of voice, nipping Natalia's neck, then smiled against it when she heard Natalia chuckling.

"You're gonna be my landlady for the next twenty years or so, depending on how much you spend on our place," Natalia murmured, tangling her fingers in Olivia's hair.

Olivia's heart sang at Natalia's choice of words and she took a deep breath as she straightened herself to look Natalia in the eye. "I can live with that," she said huskily, sweeping her gaze down Natalia's face.

"Well you kinda _have to_ now," Natalia informed Olivia wryly with a sympathetic look on her face. At that, Olivia snorted, then threw her head back and laughed.

Natalia washed her hands, scrutinised her reflection, then arranged her hair so that it framed her face in a manner that she was used to. They were running a little late for Emma's performance but Olivia was still on the phone with Mr. Hsiao, her prospective restaurant space leasee. Natalia sighed at her reflection. She was filled with so many conflicting emotions right now that she was surprised she hadn't shut off completely.

After they had gotten back to Springfield, she had gone to the hospital to check in on Paul after dropping Olivia off at the Beacon. Still inflicted with guilt over what had happened, Natalia had been glad to find Paul asleep when she had first arrived at his bedside. He had stirred soon after, however, and the smile that he had greeted her with had sent a fresh wave of guilt to crash over her. Then he had brushed her heartfelt apology aside, saying that she couldn't take responsibility for someone else's deed.

_"What are your plans? You know he's not going to quit until he's put away for good, right?"_ Paul had asked, concerned. His words had validated their decision to let Vizzini's men have Mallet, and she proceeded to give him a halting account of what had happened in Chicago.

_"A fry pan?"_ Paul had said incredulously when her tale winded down. At her nod, he had shaken his head and smirked. _"And that's the story of how a utensil dropped a tool."_

Natalia hadn't found it the least bit funny up till that point. They laughed so hard at that Paul had had to depress the button that released morphine into his bloodstream. _"Fuck, Natalia, this is good shit. Wish I could share,"_ had been the last thing he had said in his hypnagogic state, and Natalia had had to shake her head affectionately at the man who had so quickly charmed her with his genuinity and become her friend.

After wiping her her hands dry, Natalia pulled out her cell to check the time as she stepped out of the bathroom. If they left in the next ten minutes, they should still be on time. Preoccupied, she almost walked into Olivia. Natalia braced herself against a warm body of flesh, then looked up to meet warm, green eyes. "Sorry."

"You can walk into me anytime, gorgeous," Olivia murmured, making Natalia roll her eyes and smirk. "What, you think that's funny?" Olivia huffed, lifting an arched brow even as the edges of her lips curled up in a smile.

Natalia's own brows rose when she found herself being backed up. "Olivia, we're going to be late if we don't leave now," she said protestingly. "What are you doing?"

"Nuh uh. We're not going anywhere until you kiss me," Olivia said, shaking her head with a glint in her eye.

Natalia chuckled and found herself being wedged between Olivia and a wall. "You are so demanding," she murmured, smoothing the front of Olivia's blouse with the palm of her hand.

"You think a kiss is demanding?" Olivia said, feigning disbelief. "I want a kiss every time I see you, every time you leave my side, when I open my eyes in the morning, and before I close my eyes every night."

Natalia's eyes widened and she chuckled, reaching up and around Olivia to link her hands behind her neck. "What have I gotten myself into?" she wondered out loud.

"Keep going and I'm gonna think of more places to insert mandatory kisses," Olivia said shrewdly. "I think you should kiss me every time you say my name, every time I see... the colour blue... and..."

The rest of Olivia's sentence was smothered by Natalia's lips on hers, and she melted into the intimate embrace willingly. It took them a good fifteen minutes before they finally left the suite and ran for the elevator, flushed and giggling like two teenagers. When they went past the reception desk, someone called out Natalia's name, making her turn and lag behind Olivia.

"These came in for you, Miss Rivera," Russell, who was minding the reception desk, called out.

"Oh, thanks," Natalia said, taking a small package and an envelope off of him. She glanced at both items, saw her typed out name and address on the envelope, and briefly wondered who they were from before stuffing them into her jacket pocket and hurrying after Olivia. Olivia had already gotten into her car that the valet had driven up for her and Natalia didn't want to hold them up any longer than necessary.

"Late, late, late," Olivia mumbled under her breath as she stepped on the accelerator after strapping on her seat belt. "Gus's siren would come in handy right now."

Natalia turned to Olivia at that. "Gus's siren?" she asked, then felt a tinge of annoyance at the thought of the man. "I can't believe he kissed you!" she declared, folding her arms across her chest.

Olivia smirked. "Well I _am_ kinda hot, if I might say so myself."

Natalia rolled her eyes and shook her head, but could not keep from smiling. "What siren?" she asked, not wanting to stroke Olivia's ego further.

"I took Gus's car to come after you," Olivia said with a small shrug. "And... I might have used the siren..." A guilty smile played on full lips. At Natalia's snort, Olivia turned to her and grinned. "You should have seen how the traffic parted. I can totally see the appeal of being in a car chase. The adrenalin rush was unbelievable! It was like... Moses and the Red Sea!" she exclaimed gleefully.

"You are so lucky you didn't get caught," Natalia said, shaking her head. She placed a hand on Olivia's thigh and smiled when Olivia clasped it in her own.

"As if anyone would get in the way of a speeding cop car," Olivia scoffed, then lifted Natalia's hand to her lips. "I'm so glad I got there before Mallet did," she murmured in a more serious tone of voice.

"I was so scared that he was going to shoot you," Natalia said as images from the day before appeared in her mind's eye again. She had been trying to put them and the accompanying feeling of nastiness aside the entire day.

"Hey, he didn't, okay? We're here. He's not. Game over," Olivia said, and Natalia smiled faintly at the reassurance that she was given.

"You're a pretty good shot. Have you gone to the range before?" Natalia asked in a bid to wipe the image of a shouting Mallet pointing his gun at Olivia.

Olivia snorted. "I got lucky. You'd laugh if I told you what I was aiming for," she muttered.

Natalia shifted in her seat and asked, interested, "What?" When Olivia responded with twitching lips, Natalia shook their linked hands. "What were you aiming for?"

Olivia cleared her throat and turned to Natalia briefly. "His um... manly bits."

Natalia stared at Olivia for a moment, then chuckled. "You were aiming for his dick but hit his shoulder instead?" Natalia pulled her hand out of Olivia's and rested it on Olivia's shoulder as she stroked her cheek. "My not-so-sharp shooter..." she murmured mirthfully. "Or did you forget where it's located, now that you're a lesbian and all?"

Olivia turned her head to Natalia again, this time more sharply. "Hey! As if!"

"Oh look! We're here!" Natalia said, snatching her hand back from Olivia and unbuckling her seatbelt.

"Not so fast, you," Olivia growled as she reached for Natalia and pulled her face close. "I see a few blue cars around the lot."

Natalia frowned, confused. "So?" she asked, not getting Olivia's point. The traffic on the way had been smooth, and there were still a number of people pulling up in the school parking lot, so it was safe to assume that they weren't the last people there. Natalia was relieved; she disliked being late.

"So... I said earlier that you have to kiss me whenever I see the colour blue!"

Natalia groaned laughingly. "Olivia..." Nevertheless, she inched closer to Olivia, cradled her face, and brushed their lips together before looking into Olivia's eyes. "_Now_, can we go, my love?"

Olivia's eyes fluttered shut briefly. "Oh, I like the sound of that," she husked out, making Natalia's stomach flip pleasantly with the sensual tone her voice had taken on. Natalia tilted her face up to kiss Olivia's forehead, smiling when Olivia smiled. Then they made their way companionably into the school, shoulders bumping and arms brushing against each other's.

Olivia seemed so light and carefree now that Mallet's menacing presence was eliminated from their lives. It was a little difficult for her to adjust to initially, but now it was infectious, and Natalia found herself lifted by Olivia's spirits and optimism for their future together. She knew that the repercussions of Mallet's actions would come back to haunt them, that the nightmare she had had the night before might not be a one time event, but things seemed a lot less dire with Olivia by her side. Not too long ago, it would have freaked Natalia out to have her world so intimately entwined with someone else's. Yet now... now she knew no other way it could be.

They entered a crowded hall lined with row upon row of chairs. Natalia saw Harley and waved at her, a little relieved that there were too many people between them for them to exchange verbal greetings. It saved her from having to decide whether she should give Harley a heads up about Gus. The lights in the hall dimmed, and Natalia quickly slid onto a chair next to Olivia.

Of all the ways she had imagined her life would be after she left Chicago, sitting in a hall beside her girlfriend, watching her girlfriend's daughter and her own long-thought dead son performing on stage was _definitely_ not one of them.

She reached for Olivia's hand and tangled their fingers together. The quick look that they exchanged warmed her chest and caused her lips to curve upwards. Then she settled back to watch the performance, experiencing an unfamiliar surge of pride and wonder whenever her eyes fell on Emma or Rafe.

She had so much to be thankful for.

**57**

When the eighth graders began their hiphop dance routine, Olivia leaned towards Natalia to whisper in her ear, telling her that she needed to go to the restroom. She got up when Natalia shifted to let her out, then threw Natalia an arched look when a misbehaving hand lightly and playfully smacked her pants-clad bottom as she edged past her.

As she walked down the hall, Olivia began noticing a few people giving her looks, averting their eyes to whisper to each other when she met their gazes. Frowning to herself, Olivia stopped, turned, and saw Natalia engrossed in the performance, oblivious to the looks that were directed her way. Curbing the urge to walk up to the next person who did that to demand to know what their problem was, she clenched a fist and kept on walking with her head held high.

She could hazard a guess as to what those looks and whisperings were for, but as long as these people did not cross their paths, she would leave it be. Having done a fair few things in her life to warrant being talked about behind her back, Olivia had learnt to live with it, and had sometimes even relished in it. But after everything that had happened, she wouldn't hesitate to rip someone a new one if they dared disrupt the peace that Natalia and she had only so recently wrangled.

She made a quick affair of using the bathroom and was washing the soap off of her hands when the restroom door swung inward. Looking up reflexively, Olivia saw Doris Wolfe's reflection in the mirror and her eyes narrowed slightly. Mallet had mentioned the mayor's name during their confrontation. Even if the man was sadly delusional, it would not hurt to be cautious. She gave Doris a nod of acknowledgement when their eyes met in the mirror.

"I know you don't know me well," Doris said haltingly, causing Olivia's brow to rise at the unorthodox greeting. "But... Alan's up to no good. I just thought you should know."

Olivia couldn't help but scoff. "When's Alan ever up to any good?"

"Nevertheless," Doris said heavily before walking towards a cubicle.

"Wait," Olivia called out, making Doris stop and turn. "Where are you in all of this?" she asked curiously. "Your telling me this means that you know, or have an idea of, what's been going on. How are you involved?"

"I'm not. I'm just... concerned," Doris edged with an uncomfortable smile.

Olivia smirked darkly, unconvinced. "Then give me something to work with. 'Alan is up to no good' tells me absolutely nothing."

Doris stared at Olivia for a long moment, as though assessing how much to reveal. Olivia straightened her stance in response. "Do you... Is your friendship with Natalia worth losing your kids over?" Doris finally asked.

Olivia's eyes narrowed, her hackles rising and her stomach sinking. "What are you saying?" she asked, her voice dropping dangerously low. When Doris looked hardpressed to answer, Olivia's mind raced to scan the information that she had of Doris Wolfe and finally stumbled on one that she could use. "You have a daughter yourself, don't you?"

Doris narrowed her eyes at that. "Yes?"

"How would you feel if someone threatened you with her?" Olivia asked, choosing her words carefully. "No one fucks with someone else's children. No one should ever use children as pawns in anything. You're a mother. You -"

Olivia was beginning to build a momentum with her words when the door to the restroom flung open, admitting several loudly chattering women. She glanced at them briefly before turning back to Doris, only to be greeted by the sight of a closed cubicle door.

Olivia sighed in frustration and considered waiting for the woman to exit the cubicle, but then more women entered the restroom, and a line began forming. The event had probably ended; Natalia would be wondering where she was, and Emma would be waiting for them as well. She dug into her purse for a namecard, walked towards the cubicle that the mayor was in, and discreetly slipped it under the door. She exited the restroom, hoping that Doris Wolfe would call her to finish their conversation.

Olivia fleetingly wondered if Robert had made the gunshot wound, and whether Paul had any idea that his brother was also in Cedars. Then she brushed all her thoughts aside and sped up her walk, suddenly infused with the irrational thought that she wouldn't be able to find Natalia and Emma.

When Olivia reached the hall, she scanned the sea of people milling about and trickling out of the hall until she caught sight of Natalia standing with Emma, Harley and Raphael. She let out a shaky breath that she hadn't been aware of holding, and was suddenly acutely conscious of how stressed out she must be. Then she caught sight of Alan Spaulding approaching the small party, and her spine stiffened.

Olivia frowned when collective cries of 'Grandpa' erupted from both Raphael and Emma when she reached them. Then Emma caught sight of her belatedly and flung herself at her. "Mommy! You came!"

Olivia felt her face melting into a smile as she wrapped her arms around Emma. "Of course I did, silly. I wouldn't have missed it for the world! I'm sorry you had to spend the night with Jodi... but you obviously aren't," she remarked, chuckling at Emma's bright countenance. In that moment, she knew with absolute certainty that if anyone tried to take Emma away from her, she would learn how to shoot that damn gun properly and not hesitate to use it. "Did you have fun, baby?" she asked, in a bid to shake off the dark turn her thoughts had taken.

"Yes! Jodi's cat just had babies and her mom said if you say it's okay, I can have one. Can I, Mommy? Please?" Emma asked imploringly.

Olivia lifted her face and saw Natalia smiling tightly at Alan, who was talking with one hand resting on Raphael's head. Then she looked back down at Emma. "We'll talk about it when we get home, okay 'Bean? Promise."

Emma's eyes widened. "Is that a maybe?" she asked breathlessly.

Olivia had to smile at her daughter's young exuberance. "Yes, that is a maybe." Then she planted a kiss on Emma's crown and steered them forward to stand next to Natalia with Emma leaning back on her. She met Harley's eyes and they exchanged faint, polite smiles.

"I think Emma and Rafe should be at the mansion for Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow," Alan said, looking at Harley and Olivia expectantly.

Olivia rolled her eyes discreetly and had to force herself to sound civil when she said, "Sorry Alan, but we already have plans."

"So do we," Harley said quickly.

"Gus said that you guys didn't have anything special lined up," Alan began, frowning at Harley.

"Sure they do," Olivia said, cutting in. "I've invited them to spend Thanksgiving at the Beacon. My treat. It must have slipped Gus's mind," she continued with a shrug and smile. "The offer still stands."

"Right," Harley said to Olivia before turning to give Alan a nod. "Yes, it would be a fantastic treat. The boys would love it, and if Gus doesn't want to join us, I'm sure he'd love to join you at the mansion, Alan."

Olivia wasn't sure but it sounded as though Harley wasn't very happy with Gus at the moment. She idly wondered if Alan's plan to break Harley and Gus up might come to fruition after all. "Cool!" Raphael said excitedly, shaking Olivia out of her reverie. She snorted softly, suspecting that he hadn't heard anything past Harley's agreement to her invitation. "Do we get free breakfast?" he asked, turning dark, shining eyes on her.

Olivia had to chuckle at that. "You drive a hard bargain, mister," she said teasingly, and her smile deepened when she heard Natalia smirk beside her. "I'll see what I can arrange." Then before Alan could raise any objections or, worse still, suggest joining them at the Beacon, Olivia turned to Natalia and said, "We should get going now, I think?"

Natalia nodded. "See you, Harley. And you too, Rafe. You were amazing tonight," she said with a wistful smile, reaching out a hand to ruffle Raphael's dark curls.

Olivia smiled faintly as she watched them. It was the first time she had ever seen Natalia and Raphael together, and it struck her just how much Raphael resembled Natalia, especially when he smiled or harboured the look of anticipation. She found herself hoping that one day, Raphael would be a permanent fixture in their lives.

"Will you be there too?" Raphael asked, tilting his head up to look at Natalia.

Olivia saw Natalia's brows furrow when she asked, "Where?"

"The Beacon. When we're there. Will you be there too?"

Olivia's lips quirked when she heard Raphael's clarification, aware just how happy the simple query would make Natalia. The dimpled smile that spreaded across Natalia's face made Olivia's heart do a tiny flip even though it was solely directed at Raphael. It was unbelievable just how sappy she had become but _God_, she did so love this woman-the way she looked, moved, spoke... the way she simply _was_.

"Mm hm. Maybe we can all do something together," Natalia said, looking up at Harley with a hopeful expression that Raphael mirrored.

"I'm sure that would be fun," Harley said simply, and Olivia felt a sudden rush of affection towards this woman whom she hardly knew.

"Bye, Grandpa," Emma said, approaching Alan with a hug. Olivia watched them and knew a moment of regret that she could never trust her daughter with her grandfather. "Happy Thanksgiving," Emma added, tilting her head up to smile at Alan.

"Happy Thanksgiving, Emma," Alan said gruffly, palming Emma's cheek.

If only Alan Spaulding wasn't the underhanded, manipulating schemer that he was. If only Emma's father wasn't lost and delusional somewhere, and could be a part of their bright and loving daughter's life. If only she didn't have such a fractious relationship with the Spauldings. If only. Then Olivia's gaze fell upon Natalia's profile and she realised that she wouldn't want her life to be any different if it meant trading in what she had with Natalia.

"Let's go, Mommy! I'm hungry!"

Emma's plaintive cry broke Olivia's reverie and made her roll her eyes and bark out an indulging laugh. "Well let's go then," she said as Emma took both Natalia's and her hands.

She could feel prying eyes on them and hear whispers buzzing about them as they strode through the hall, but Olivia didn't care. Olivia didn't care because her daughter was telling them about the little mishap during rehearsal the day before and Natalia was chuckling at Emma's goofy reanactment. At the end of the day, that was everything Olivia could ever want.

**58**

Natalia asked for the bill when Olivia and Emma left the table to use the restroom. Towers wasn't a cheap establishment, but Natalia didn't mind forking out for pricey meals when it came to Olivia and Emma, despite Olivia's mild protests. While it was true that she wouldn't have chosen to eat at somewhere like Towers if she were on her own, she wouldn't be living rent-free in a high-end hotel suite and driving around in luxurious sedan either. It was futile to try and match what Olivia had given her, but she could at least contribute in the ways that she could.

As she dug around her jacket pockets for her wallet, Natalia was suddenly reminded of the items Russell from the reception desk had handed her earlier. She took them out of her pockets and left her jacket slung over her lap. After paying the bill, Natalia looked in the direction of the restrooms. Catching no sight of Olivia and Emma, she returned her attention to the two items in her hands, hefting the small package lightly while running her eyes over the envelope.

Apart from her name and the Beacon's address, it only had the words 'Private and Confidential' printed on the top left corner. Natalia frowned; she didn't know how anyone had known where to locate her to send her anything. She placed the envelope on her lap so that she could open the package first, and her eyes bugged out at its contents.

Two thick bundles of money.

Before she could look further to see if there was any indication of who it was from, Emma bounded up to the table and she hurriedly stashed the package and the envelope back into her pocket as she stood up. Her thoughts were everywhere.

"We're ready now, Natalia!" Emma announced brightly. Natalia's lips curved up easily at that. She blinked her questions away and rested a hand on Emma's slender shoulder.

"We're ready now, Natalia," Olivia echoed her daughter as she slid an arm around Natalia's waist, but in a low, scratchy voice beside her ear, sending a small shiver through her body. She met Olivia's eyes and briefly cupped her cheek before they made their way out of Towers.

They were almost at the entrance when Emma saw one of her classmates and looked up at Olivia. "Mommy, can I go say hi to Tara?"

Olivia nodded. Emma sprinted over to where Tara and her parents were seated, and Olivia lagged behind, looping her arm through Natalia's, smiling when their eyes met. "Did you have a good time tonight?"

Despite being in possession of a mysterious package of money and not knowing what the official looking envelope contained, Natalia couldn't help responding to Olivia's happy grin and slight wrinkling of nose with a faint, indulgent smile of her own. "Mm hm." It was crazy how being with Olivia made everything else fade in comparison.

"When you smile like that, you make me want to kiss you," Olivia murmured softly, peering down at Natalia through her lashes.

Natalia rolled her eyes self-deprecatingly, but her dimples deepened alongside her smile and Olivia dipped her head for a light kiss. Natalia slid her hand up Olivia's arm in a familiar fashion and sighed softly. She couldn't wait to be back at the Beacon suite, curled up beside Olivia, discussing where the money might have come from and finding out what the other envelope contained. "I love you," she said in a barely audible whisper, but she knew Olivia had heard her because she was treated to a full-fledged smile. "I can't wait to be alone with you," she added, and smirked when Olivia's brows rose. The sensual curve of her lips made Natalia sigh inwardly.

"Did you wanna go grab the car while I pry Emma away from her friend?" Olivia asked, already digging into her purse for the car key.

Natalia grinned and tilted her head slightly. "Sure. I'll be out front," she said, taking the key from Olivia. She let her hand linger against Olivia's; that Olivia still trusted her without a second thought after what had happened made her chest swell briefly with emotion. She knew in that moment that she would try her best to not let Olivia down again.

"And I'll try to be quick," Olivia murmured laughingly as she threw a glance at Emma, who was chatting animatedly away, gesturing wildly with her hands.

Natalia smiled fondly at Emma before walking in the direction of the elevators that would take her to the undercover parking lot. She could feel the bulk of the money pressing against her hip. Curious to know what the other envelope contained and if it was linked to the mysterious package, she pulled it out and ripped it open.

It was a lawyer's letter requesting her to attend the will reading of her recently deceased father.

Momentarily stunned, Natalia blinked several times before she knew to exit the elevator. She didn't know what to think, if she felt, whether she cared. She quickly located Olivia's car and unlocked it, tossing her jacket and its contents in the backseat. Then she decided that Olivia would help her make sense of it, one way or the other. In any case, she just wanted to go home with Olivia and Emma. Everything else could wait.

Just as she was about to climb into the car, someone called out her name, causing her to look up in surprise.

"We need to talk."

"Mommy, I'm cold," Emma complained. "Where's Natalia?"

Olivia frowned as she pulled Emma against her tightly. "I'm not sure, 'Bean. She might have forgotten where we parked the car," she said with a smile as she looked out for the familiar sight of her white sedan. "I'll call her. Silly Natalia must be wandering the parking lot, trying to find the car."

Emma giggled and snuggled closer against her as she reached for her cell to dial Natalia's number. The call went straight to voice mail. Slightly annoyed, Olivia pursed her lips, then sighed. There must not be any reception in the parking lot. "We'll wait for another two minutes and if she still isn't here, we'll go look for her, okay?" Olivia smiled when Emma nodded while stifling a yawn. "You were so awesome today, 'Bean. Natalia and I really enjoyed your performance."

Emma immediately perked up with the praise. "I was a little bit nervous. But I remembered all my lines!"

"You sure did! I'm so proud of you," Olivia murmured as she leaned down to press a kiss onto Emma's crown. "Okay, it _is_ getting cold and Natalia is taking way too long. What do you say, shall we go rescue her?"

Emma snickered and nodded. Then, as they made their way to the elevators, she said, "Mommy, Tara asked if Natalia was your best friend and I said she's your girlfriend, and Tara didn't understand what that means. So I said you and Natalia are together... like Jodi's mom and her boyfriend are together... Is that correct?"

Olivia depressed the door close button in the elevator while she thought about what she was going to say. Then she turned to Emma. "That's correct. Do you... have many of your friends asked you about Natalia and I?" she asked hesitantly.

Emma shook her head no.

"You... do like Natalia, right 'Bean?" Olivia asked, feeling insecure all of a sudden. Even though she was fairly certain that Emma adored Natalia, she needed to hear her daughter say the words.

Emma nodded. "I like her. She's nice and fun and pretty," she stated matter-of-factly.

Relieved, Olivia smiled as they stepped out of the elevator. "I'm glad, Emma. Not everyone embraces diversity... that is, things that are different... so you might have some classmates asking or even teasing you about Natalia and I," Olivia said haltingly. "Maybe it won't happen, but if it does, I want you to talk to Mommy about it, okay 'Bean? I don't want you to ever feel like you can't tell me anything."

Even though Emma nodded, Olivia still couldn't fully rid herself of the worry that her daughter might have a hard time in school because of her relationship with Natalia. However, there was nothing she could do to prevent people from talking if they had a mind to; they would just have to cross that bridge if and when they got to it.

Emma quickly spotted their car. She turned to Olivia with an odd smile and asked if Natalia was playing a game with them. "I bet she's waiting to scare us," Emma said before jogging towards the vehicle.

A feeling of unrest sprung up within Olivia and quickly escalated in proportion to each passing second of not sighting Natalia. Even though Natalia had expressed her regret for causing her to worry when she had left her without a word, the incident was still too fresh in Olivia's memory for her to not jump to the immediate and rather irrational conclusion that Natalia had left her again. The breath she didn't realise she was holding was forcefully expelled when Emma opened the car door and poked her head in as she giggled to herself.

"Is Natalia in there, 'Bean?" Olivia called out. She forced herself to continue her trek towards the car at a leisurely pace. It seemed unlikely that Natalia would play such a prank on them but in the event that she did, Olivia didn't want Natalia to think that she mistrusted her.

"No," Emma replied, and Olivia's stomach lurched nastily. "But her jacket is here."

Olivia frowned as she picked up Natalia's jacket. She looked around, half expecting Natalia to rush up behind them, but the parking lot was silent. "Get in the car, 'Bean," Olivia instructed nervously. She found the car key on the driver seat and blood rushed from her face. She did not know what to make of the situation; insane scenarios jumped into her mind, none of them good.

"Natalia!" Olivia suddenly shouted as she swivelled around to scan the parking lot, hoping against hope that Natalia was around somewhere. "Natalia?" She would not allow herself to panic or give in to hysteria. She would remain calm and collected. "Natalia!" At her third cry, tears suddenly pressed against the back of her eyes, and her voice broke slightly. She wrapped a hand around the base of her throat, telling herself to think.

"Mommy, where's Natalia?" Emma asked in a small voice from the back of the car.

"I don't know, Emma," Olivia said in a hushed, distracted voice. She pulled out her cell, saw that there was no reception, and took a deep breath. She would first make sure that Natalia was not in the parking lot, then she would drive out so that she could try Natalia's cell. "I'm going to see if Natalia's around, okay? You stay in the car and Mommy will be back in a minute."

"But I don't wanna be in the car alone..." Emma mumbled, sounding like she was on the verge of tears herself.

If someone had attacked Natalia-Olivia squeezed her eyes shut briefly at the thought and quickly admonished herself for thinking the worst-then the last thing she wanted was for Emma to be exposed to that kind of danger. "Okay, I won't leave you alone. We'll drive around to see if we can see Natalia, okay? Come on up in front. Mommy will need your help to spot Natalia," Olivia said with a forced smile.

"Is Natalia okay?" Emma asked as she scrambled to the front of the car.

"I'm sure she's just waiting for us to find her," Olivia said, trying to sound as flippant as she could. "And when we do, we'll tickle her for hiding from us, okay?"

Emma nodded mutely but the worried look left her face as she reached for the seatbelt. Olivia drove around the lot slowly but Natalia was nowhere to be found. Vexed and thrumming with fear and unrest, Olivia sped out of the undercover parking lot.

"Where's Natalia, Mommy?" Emma asked, sounding as small and afraid as Olivia felt.

"Maybe she went back to the Beacon without us," Olivia said, glancing at Emma with what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "Here, how about you try giving Natalia a call with Mommy's cell?" she said, reaching for her cell. It beeped right then and Olivia's heart skipped a beat. "See, Natalia must have left us a message while we were looking for her in the parking lot!" she said loudly, wishing for it to be true.

Olivia pulled the car over to the side of the road and looked at her cell. She had a voicemail. She sighed in relief when she heard Natalia's voice. Natalia hadn't disappeared without a word. There was some sort of explanation for this. Then Olivia frowned when she realised that she was actually listening in to a muffled conversation. Olivia hit the repeat button and concentrated on the voicemail after hushing Emma and promising to tell her what Natalia said.

Olivia lowered her head as she pressed her cell tight against her ear. _"... you taking us?"_ The recording had started in the middle of the conversation.

_"Just shut up and drive,"_ came the response. Olivia's brows furrowed as she tried to make out who the other person was.

_"I really don't know where Mallet is, Marina."_ Natalia's voice came through loud and clear. Olivia's head snapped up the same time Marina screamed, _"Don't you dare say his name!"_

The line went dead and the recording ended.

**The End**

A/N Yes, it really is the end. Suffice to say, there will be a sequel. I'm mean to end it here but I'm not cruel enough to just leave it here. However, this is a devil ride, and it just wouldn't feel right to have a happy ever after ending.

I don't think I could do an epilogue with an ending like this... but maybe. I'll go mull over it for a bit. But regardless, I'd really like to thank everyone who have commented, lurked, PMed me, and joined me on this ride. I hope this ending is one befitting of the journey you've taken with me. X


End file.
